OPTIMIZATION OF A FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGE FORMULATED WITH BLUEBERRY, PITAHAYA, AND PINEAPPLE PEEL EXTRACTS: PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES, ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY, AND SENSORY EVALUATION

Obregón A.J.; Bracamonte M.A. · Acta Scientiarum Polonorum, Technologia Alimentaria (2026) · DOI: 10.17306/j.afs.001508

Resumen

Background. The functional beverage sector has experienced considerable growth in recent years, driven by increasing consumer demand for products that support hydration, rapid energy delivery, and electrolyte balance. Against this background, the present study aimed to optimize a mixture comprising pineapple peel infusion (Ananas comosus L.), red pitahaya juice (Hylocereus undatus), and blueberry juice (Vaccinium corymbosum) for the development of a functional beverage with stimulant characteristics and suitable bioactive, physicochemical, and sensory properties. Material and methods. Formulation combinations were generated using an augmented simplex-centroid mixture design with constraints. The experimental samples were assessed by means of physicochemical analyses, antioxidant activity determination, and standardized sensory evaluation. Statistical analysis was conducted using polynomial regression models. Results. The mixture components significantly and predictably influenced flavor attributes, antioxidant activity, and sensory parameters – including color, aroma, and overall acceptability – as indicated by p-values ≤ 0.05 and high R² values in the predictive models. Application of the desirability function yielded an optimized formulation with a maximum desirability value of 0.98, comprising 50.9% pineapple peel infusion, 39.2% pitahaya juice, and 10% blueberry juice. This formulation was subsequently validated experimentally and characterized through chemical-bromatological analyses, underscoring the relevance of pineapple peel as a value-added ingredient derived from fruit by-products. Conclusions. The results confirm the development of a functional beverage with stimulant potential and high bioactive capacity, attributable primarily to its antioxidant activity and physicochemical characteristics. These findings support the feasibility of producing a viable functional beverage and highlight the potential of fruit by-products as value-added ingredients in health-oriented food applications. © Copyright by Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Poznaniu This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos