Abstract:
Myristica fragrans (Nutmeg) is one of the significant exporting spice crops in Sri Lanka.
The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of post-harvest methods and fungal
growth on the oil, phenol, and flavonoid contents of M. fragrans. Seeds (1200) were
divided into two groups based on the nature of fruit during harvesting (closed or splitopened)
and the nature of fungal growth; with fungi or without fungi. They were again
divided into two portions, and one was blanched at 80 oC for 3 minutes. Blanched
and unblanched samples were dried using three different drying methods such as
cabinet drying, greenhouse solar drying, and open sun drying. Phenolic, flavonoid
and oil contents were determined using the Folin-Ciocaltue, the aluminium chloride
colorimetric, and the hydrodistillation methods, respectively. This study revealed that
nature of fruit during harvesting, blanching, drying methods, and fungal growth had
a statistically significant (p<0.05) impact on the oil content and phytochemicals in M.
fragrans. The oil content varied from 2% to 12%, with greenhouse solar-dried and
closed nutmeg fruits exhibiting significantly (p<0.05) higher oil content. The cabinetdried
samples showed significantly (p<0.05) lower oil content. Total flavonoid content
ranged from 21 to 117 mg of quercetin equivalents per gram of dried kernel, while
total phenolic content ranged from 20 to 135 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram
of dried kernel across the different treatment groups. The greenhouse solar-dried
samples and open sun-dried samples resulted in higher total phenolic and flavonoid
contents, respectively. Importantly, the blanching treatment significantly (p<0.05)
decreased the total phenolic content, while fungal growth significantly (p<0.05)
reduced phytochemicals. Therefore, it is essential to note that making it free from
fungal infections and applying good post-harvest practices are critical for preserving
the quality of nutmeg.
