Physicochemical Properties, Sensory Evaluation, and Pancreatic Lipase Inhibition of Garcinia-Based Functional Gummy

Obesity is a serious global health concern associated with metabolic disorders and reduced life expectancy. Thus, food technology research has prioritized the formulation of functional foods that are safe, cost-effective, and capable of promoting long-term weight management. Garcinia gummi-gutta and Garcinia parvifolia were found to have anti-obesity properties due to their bioactive compound constituents that comprise xanthones, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), and diverse phenolic compounds. However, their use in functional gummy formulations is still limited. This study aimed to analyze the sensory acceptability, examine the physicochemical properties and investigate the anti-obesity potential of the formulated G. gummi-gutta and G. parvifolia gummies. Sensory evaluation was carried out using a 7-point hedonic scale to evaluate aroma, taste, texture, appearance, and overall acceptability. Physicochemical analyses included texture, moisture content, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC). The anti-obesity potential of the formulations was evaluated using an in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition assay. Physicochemical results showed that the moisture content of gummy did not vary among the formulations, but inclusion of Garcinia affected the texture, pH, TSS, TPC, and TFC. The pancreatic lipase inhibition was the highest in F2 (G. parvifolia), which is due to its high TPC and TFC. F1 (G. gummi-gutta) had relatively lower lipase inhibition even though G. gummi-gutta had high HCA content. F3 (G. gummi-gutta and G. parvifolia) exhibited a medium functional performance despite having a high sensory acceptance. In conclusion, it was found that F3 (G. gummi-gutta and G. parvifolia) will be preferable to the consumers whereas F2 (G. parvifolia) has a greater anti-obesity effect. However, further research is needed to examine the optimized formulation, stability of bioactive compounds, their bioavailability, and physiological effects.