Authors:

Abstract

Purpose: Sri Lankan traditional sweetmeats occupy a special place in regular consumption, festivities and religious offerings. Sweetmeats are popular food items since ancient times, however, their compositional information are limited. The objective of this study is to provide information on macro-nutrients, energy intake, antioxidant potential and bioactive compounds of selected sweetmeats.

Research method: Twenty-five sweetmeat prepared with standardized recipes were analyzed for major nutrients using standard analytical methods. Methanol (80%, v/v) extracts of these products were evaluated for antioxidant potential (AP) by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Potential (FRAP), 2,2-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activity and 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) radical scavenging assays.

Findings: Almost all tested sweetmeats were energy-dense foods. Among the deep-fried foods, Beraliya kevum had the highest fat content 28.23±1.06 %. Kos eta aggala (68.05±1.30%) reported the highest carbohydrate content and Unduwalalu had the highest protein content (8.70±0.33%) among all the sweetmeats. The AP of Hal helapa made of rice flour, finger millet flour and Vateria copallifera was significantly (p<0.05) higher compared to all other sweetmeats; 222.44±5.34 mM TEAC/g dry matter by DPPH assay and 240.28±5.62 mM TEAC/g dry matter by ABTS assay. Stable polyphenolic compounds and Maillard reaction products generated during high temperatures of processing may be contributing to high AP.

Originality/Value: These findings are useful to enhance the consumer awareness in making food choices based on the major nutrients and antioxidant potential. These data can be used to improve the health-related parameters of traditional sweetmeats by reformulating with healthy ingredients and meeting the health concerns of consumers.

Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Energy, Macronutrients, Sri Lanka, Traditional sweetmeats, Trolox equivalent