Process Parameter Optimization for Enzyme-Aided Juice Extraction of Wood Apple (Feronia limonia)

Juice was extracted from wood apple (Feronia limoni) by conducting designed experiments with varying incubation temperature (°C), enzyme concentration (mg/100 g) and incubation time (h) as input variables at five different levels. The second-order polynomial models were developed using response surface methodology to understand effect of input variables on the responses in terms of,—juice recovery (%), TSS (°Bx) and clarity (%T at 590 nm). Interaction of incubation temperature with other input variables was observed to affect all the responses. Optimum values for input variables could be obtained with statistically valid models (p < 0.01) for maximized juice recovery and clarity at incubation temperature, enzyme concentration and incubation time of 40 °C, 34.7 mg/100 g and 5.5 h, respectively.