Low-calorie fruit spread from palmyra palm fruit: Effect of stevia on proximate composition, physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and sensory properties

Palmyra palm ( Borassus flabellifer L.) is a species of Arecaceae and is utilized diversely in food, beverages, fiber, and medicine. Although nutritious, the ripe pulp of this fruit is underutilized commercially. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the possibility of formulating low-calorie palmyra palm (PP) fruit spreads with stevia as a natural sweetener. Three fruit spread samples were made: a sugar control (S1), a low-calorie stevia version (S2), and a sugar-stevia combination (S3). The proximate, physicochemical, bioactive, functional, and sensory properties of the fruit spreads were examined and compared among the formulations. Substituting sugar with stevia (S2) resulted in a notable reduction in total sugars and caloric content (9.1% reduction), without compromising key quality parameters. The S2 retained higher levels of vitamin C (19.67 mg/100 g), carotenoids (32.90 mg/100 g), total phenolic content (399.90 mg GAE/100 g), and total flavonoid content (61.54 mg QE/100 g) than S1, which is attributed to the antioxidant properties. Moreover, the antioxidant activity measured via the DPPH assay was highest in S2 among the fruit spreads (83.38%). In terms of health-promoting functionality, S2 exhibited the strongest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (7.67 µM acarbose/g FW), indicating preliminary in vitro enzyme inhibitory activity relevant to carbohydrate digestion. S2 had the best sweetness, flavor, and overall acceptance while having the least bitterness. PCA and hierarchical clustering showed that the sweetener formulation was the key factor affecting sample variation. Sugar-rich products, reduced- and stevia-based formulations, and others have distinct physicochemical, nutritional, and antioxidant profiles. These findings imply that stevia-enriched low-calorie PP fruit spread is more favorable than regular jam. According to the study, the use of stevia resulted in changes in the nutritional composition and sensory characteristics of traditional fruit-based jam-like products.