HMF as a Quality Indicator in Garcinia indica Fruit Juice Concentrate

Garcinia indica is commonly found fruit in India and known for its therapeutic applications. In Particular, its fruit juice concentrate is used as a refreshing drink and for certain therapeutic uses. However, this concentrate contains high amount of sugar and the way it is processed may result in undesirable products and quality deterioration. This study investigates the presence of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in the fruit concentrate which is essentially formed from sugar dehydration, especially in the food which undergoes thermal treatment. The three types of samples used for the study are syrups of the fruit prepared domestically, available commercially and the fruit juice without sugar. Concentration of 5-HMF in the above mentioned three samples is 316.224 mg/kg 147.840 mg/kg and 19 mg/kg respectively. 5-HMF in sugar-containing samples is above maximum tolerance level -20 mg/kg (EU) and 25 mg/l (IFFJP). This is clearly due to high proportion of sugar in these concentrates and the processing method. These results raise questions upon its quality and warn about the potential risk of formation of 5-HMF. The study further investigates the effects of HMF on its therapeutic value.