Glycemic properties of soursop-based ice cream enriched with moringa leaf powder

Introduction. Diabetes is a common disease all over the world that is often a cause of mortality. Ice cream is popular in many countries. However, sugar and fat in its composition makes ice cream a high-caloric product. Soursop (Annona muricata L.) and moringa (Moringa oleifera L.), African medicinal plants, contain natural sugars and are rich in phytochemicals. We aimed to produce ice cream with these plants and evaluate its remedial properties. Study objects and methods. The study featured ice cream purchased in a local store (control sample) and soursop ice cream with moringa leaf powder (experimental samples). The experimental ice cream samples included ice cream with soursop, ice cream with soursop and 0.1 g of moringa, and ice cream with soursop and 1 g of moringa. The antioxidant properties, glycemic indices, amylose and amylopectin contents, as well as α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties of the samples were determined using the standard methods. Results and discussion. Comparing with the other samples, ice cream with 1 g of moringa showed the highest total phenol and flavonoid contents, ABTS scavenging ability, DPPH radical scavenging ability, hydroxyl scavenging ability, ferric reducing antioxidant properties, and lowest glycemic index. Sensory evaluation revealed a lower overall acceptability of the experimental samples compared to the control ice cream. This could be due a peculiar taste of moringa (the formulation did not include sugar). Conclusion. Ice cream based on soursop and moringa can be a good alternative to sugar-sweetened ice cream due to its antioxidant properties, low glycemic index, and acceptable sensory attributes.