*Corresponding author. Email: wzawiah@umt.edu.my eISSN: 2550-2166 / © 2022 The Authors. Published by Rynnye Lyan Resources FULL PAPER Food Research 6 (3) : 288 - 297 (June 2022) Journal homepage: https://www.myfoodresearch.com Development of pastilles from flesh and rind of watermelon Din, S.N., Mubarak, A., Lani, M.N., Yahaya M.Z. and *Wan Abdullah, W.Z. Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia Article history: Received: 18 May 2021 Received in revised form: 21 June 2021 Accepted: 5 September 2021 Available Online: 12 June 2022 Keywords: Product development, Fruit by-product, Lycopene, Citrulline, Antioxidant DOI: https://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.6(3).248 Abstract A study was carried out to create a new product using watermelon flesh (sources of lycopene) and watermelon by-product, which was watermelon rind (sources of citrulline), into pastilles with different percentages of flesh and rind puree. The formulations involved were formulations A (70% flesh puree: 30% rind puree), B (50% flesh puree: 50% rind puree), and C (30% flesh puree: 70% rind puree). A commercial product was used as a reference in making the pastilles. The physical analyses that were carried out were pH, total soluble solids, water activity, colour analysis, and texture profile analysis (TPA). Chemical analysis that focused on lycopene determination, as well as sensory analyses, was also conducted. The pastilles produced had total soluble solids ranging from 41.44±0.68 to 49.03±1.49°Bx, and pH values measured at 2.52±0.09 to 2.54±0.17, which indicated an acidic aftertaste. Water activity was evaluated to be between 0.72±0.01 to 0.73±0.03, which signified the pastilles were safe to consume. The colour analysis for the L* value, a* value, and b* value was 36.84±1.48, 13.07±2.70, and 11.89±1.61, respectively, which indicated the yellowish-red colour of the pastilles. Formulation A had the highest lycopene value (0.197±0.01) as compared to the other formulations. The pastilles were successfully developed in seashell shapes with diameters of 2.74–2.76 cm and about 2.52–2.80 g in weight. The sensory evaluation showed that the pastilles from formulation B were more acceptable in terms of taste, appearance, and overall acceptability, followed by formulation A, and the least preferred was formulation C. 1. Introduction Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), which originates from the group of cucumber (Cucurbitacea), is a vast, oval, round or elongated tropical fruit (Koocheki et al., 2007). The skin is smooth with a dim green surface and light green stripes that turn yellowish-green when ripe. Watermelon is an extremely rich source of vitamins and other bioactive phytochemicals. Various studies have reported a high level of antioxidant activity in watermelons that is attributed to the phytochemical compounds (Choudhary et al., 2015; Ijah et al., 2015). According to Romdhane et al. (2017), the watermelon fruit has nutrients and minerals such as vitamin A, B, C, E and also calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. The major nutritious parts of the fruit are starch (6.4 g/100 g), vitamin A (590 IU), and lycopene (4,100 μg/100 g, in ranges of 2,300–7,200), an anti-carcinogenic compound found in red tissue watermelon. Lycopene substance of red-fleshed watermelon is nearly 40% higher than tomato with 4.81 and 3.03 mg/100 g, individually which may diminish the danger of specific malignancies such as prostate, pancreas, and stomach (Jaskani et al., 2006; Choudhary et al., 2009). In addition, Tadmor et al. (2005) found that the amount of lycopene and beta-carotene in plants with orange-coloured tissue is slightly less than in red- coloured tissue. The carotenoid in the human body consists of almost 90% beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and lycopene. Diverse carotenoid examples are found in red-fleshed and yellow-fleshed watermelons. Red- fleshed watermelon contains elevated amounts of lycopene and a shifting measure of β-carotene (Tadmor et al., 2005). The health benefits of fruits are potentially enhanced by the synergistic effects of various phytochemicals such as lycopene, polyphenols, and carotenoids in fruits (Pinto et al., 2011), such as in watermelon. The internal rind, which is generally light green or white, contains numerous shrouded supplements, is consumable, and is an alternative form of food