Abstract:
The frying of spices is a popular technique used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast
Asian cuisine to enhance the overall flavor of a dish. This study focused on the impact of
frying fenugreek and cumin seeds in oil at a constant temperature and for different time
intervals on their phytochemical and antioxidant activity. The spices were purchased from
local market of Dharan, were winnowed, handpicked and were fried in oil at constant
temperature i.e., 220°C and different frying interval (15, 30, 45, 60 sec). The fried sample
was analyzed for tannin content, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH
radical scavenging activity.
The proximate composition of fenugreek seeds i.e., crude protein, crude fat, ash content,
crude fiber, carbohydrate, moisture content, iron and calcium content was found to be
24.81±0.27%,4.07±0.16%,3.26±0.05%,15±0.22%,52.29±0.24%,10.76±0.24,5.076±0.11
mg/100g and 134.9±0.1mg/100g respectively and of cumin seeds was found to
be16.04±0.15%,13.97±0.11,6.24±0.08%,10.22±0.23%,53.53±0.6%,9.3±1.26%,11.45±0.12
mg/100g and 1097±3.6 mg/100g respectively. All values presented are the mean± s.d of
three determinations, and are expressed on dry basis. The mean value of tannin, total phenol
content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity (IC50) in raw fenugreek seed was
found to be 3.96 mg tannic acid /100g, 114.22 mg GAE/100g, 75.7mgQE/100g and 339.27
µg/ml respectively and in cumin seed was found to be 2.51mg tannin acid/100g, 88.12
mgGAE/100g, 64.234 mgQE/100g and 580.67µg/ml respectively. Frying interval show
significant reduction (p˂0.05) in tannin, total phenol content, total flavonoid content and
antioxidant activity of both the spices. This is a clear indication that bioactive components
of spice are sensitive to heat and therefore should not be cooked when using them for
medicinal purposes. The overall temperature and frying interval is believed to play a role in
the spice’s effectiveness, as at different frying interval, spices seems to show changes in
phytochemical and antioxidant activity so, it is better to consume raw rather than frying and
if fried it is better to fry for short time.
Description:
A dissertation submitted to the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Central
Campus of Technology, Tribhuvan University, in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of BSC Nutrition and Dietetics.
