Studies on the bitter principle and debittering of Palmyrah fruit pulp

The main bitter principle of Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L) fruit pulp has been tentatively identified as a steroidal saponin which is tetraglycoside (flabelitferin II) containing two glucose and two rhamnose residues. Bitterness can be removed by the action of naringinase both on the crude bitter principle extracts (containing flabelliferins I and II) and natural fruit pulp. Naringinase released glucose and rhamnose to produce other flabelliferins, two of which occur naturally in palmyrah tuber.