Sains Malaysiana 52(2)(2023): 477-485 http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5202-12 Kesan Penyahpahitan menggunakan Asid terhadap Ciri Jus Peria (Momordica charantia) (Effects of Debittering using Acid on the Properties of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) Juice) CHRISTINE TEE MEI QUIN 1 , MUHAMMAD AFWAN AIDIL ABDUL JAMIL 1 , NURUL AQILAH MOHD ZAINI 1,2 & MOHAMAD YUSOF MASKAT 1,2,* 1 Jabatan Sains Makanan, Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia 2 Pusat Inovasi Teknologi Konfeksi, Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Diserahkan: 24 Jun 2022/Diterima: 22 Disember 2022 ABSTRAK Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menentukan kesan penggunaan jenis dan kepekatan asid terhadap ciri fizikokimia dan sensori jus peria semasa penyahpahitan. Sembilan perlakuan telah dikaji yang terdiri daripada kawalan dan lapan gabungan perlakuan menggunakan dua jenis asid iaitu asid askorbik dan asid sitrik dengan 0.1 M asid telah ditambah kepada jus peria pada 1.64, 3.23, 4.76 dan 6.67% (v/v). Parameter yang diukur adalah pH, kekeruhan, kandungan vitamin C, aktiviti antioksidan (2,2-difenil-1-pikrilhidrazil) dan kandungan jumlah polifenol. Penilaian sensori juga dijalankan. Keputusan menunjukkan penurunan nilai pH, manakala kekeruhan meningkat dengan peningkatan kepekatan asid. Pencampuran asid sitrik kepada jus peria telah menurunkan nilai pH dan meningkatkan kekeruhan jus dengan signifikan berbanding dengan asid askorbik (p<0.05). Penambahan asid sitrik juga menurunkan aktiviti antioksidan jus peria secara signifikan (p<0.05). Penambahan asid askorbik pula meningkatkan kandungan vitamin C dan kandungan jumlah polifenol jus peria secara signifikan (p<0.05). Penerimaan keseluruhan bagi jus peria yang telah dicampur dengan asid sitrik lebih tinggi (p<0.05) berbanding jus yang dicampur dengan asid askorbik melainkan untuk sampel dengan penambahan 3.23% dan 6.67% asid askorbik. Pencampuran asid sitrik juga telah meningkatkan penerimaan kepahitan secara signifikan (p<0.05). Kesimpulannya, kajian menunjukkan asid sitrik lebih sesuai digunakan berbanding asid askorbik untuk penyahpahitan jus peria. Kata kunci: Fizikokimia; penyahpahitan; peria; sensori ABSTRACT This study was carried out to determine the effects of acid type and concentration on the physicochemical and sensory properties of bitter gourd juice during debittering. Nine treatments were studied comprising of control and eight combinations of treatments using two types of acids which were ascorbic and citric acid where 0.1 M acid was added to bitter gourd juice at 1.64, 3.23, 4.76 and 6.67% (v/v). The parameters that were measured were pH, turbidity, vitamin C content, antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and total polyphenol content. Sensory evaluation was also conducted. Results showed reduction in pH, while turbidity increased with increasing acid concentration. The addition of citric acid to bitter gourd juice lowered the pH and increased turbidity significantly compared to ascorbic acid (p<0.05). Addition of citric acid also reduced the antioxidant activity of bitter gourd juice significantly (p<0.05). Addition of ascorbic acid increased vitamin C content and total polyphenol content of the bitter gourd juice significantly (p<0.05). The overall acceptance of the bitter gourd juice added with citric acid was higher compared to juice added with ascorbic acid except for samples added with 3.23% and 6.67% ascorbic acid. Addition of citric acid also increased the acceptance of bitterness significantly (p<0.05). In conclusion, this study showed that citric acid was more suitable compared to ascorbic acid to be used for debittering of bitter gourd juice. Keywords: Bitter gourd; debittering; physicochemical; sensory