Abstract:
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, characterized by high blood glucose levels,
is increasing worldwide. Blood glucose level of individuals can be controlled by
incorporation of tropical herbs and spices in the diet. The main objective of this
study was to manufacture spice oleoresin (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Curcuma
longa) incorporated high quality novel dairy yoghurts with reduced glycaemic
impact. Developed yoghurts were compared with typical dairy yoghurt as the
control, mainly for the glycaemic impact after consumption using 16 healthy
volunteers in a randomized crossover study. Blood glucose concentration of
individuals was measured using a blood glucose monitoring system at fasting
state and at 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 min following ingestion. Glucose response curves
were plotted for individuals and control was used as the standard. In addition,
shelf life, compositional and physiochemical properties were determined for
prepared yoghurts. Shelf life for novel yoghurts was estimated as 15 days at
4±1°C. Developed novel and control yoghurts were within the acceptable
standards and significant (p>0.05) differences were not observed in
compositional and physiochemical properties between them. However,
significant (p<0.05) reduction was observed in peak blood glucose concentration
and area under the curve (AUC) of individuals for both novel yoghurts compared
to the control. Percentage peak glucose concentration reduction for cinnamon
and turmeric yoghurts were 9.61% and 9.26%, respectively, compared to the
control. Mean peak blood glucose concentration for control, cinnamon and
turmeric yoghurts were 113.38±6.39, 102.50±6.00, 102.88±5.38 mg/dL,
respectively, and mean AUC were 11951±523, 11012±611, 10941±530 [(mg/dL)
x min], respectively. Hence, novel yoghurts with reduced glycaemic impact, were
observed to be effective in minimizing the risk of diabetes.
