THE EFFECT OF CINNAMON POWDER ON SOME NUTRITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF ZOBO (HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA) DRINKS

ABSTRACTZobo, an extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa, is a highly nutritive and refreshing beverage, but is limited in production and use as its nutrients are denatured within a short period due to low shelf life. Many natural preservatives have been used to inhibit spoilage and preserve its nutrients. Cinnamon is a potent anti-oxidant, additive and preservative. This study was designed to determine the effect of blending with cinnamon on the nutritive value of zobo drink during a seven days storage period. Six graded levels of cinnamon addition (0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 g cinnamon per 200ml zobo) constituted the treatments in a Completely Randomized Design. The parameters studied include pH, Titratable Acidity, brix content, minerals, and Vitamin C. The results revealed that cinnamon contents decreased zobo drinks in pH and increased it in Titratable Acidity while in storage, the converse of which is true for the control. The brix content of all zobo treatments increased with storage, but the increase is marginal at higher cinnamon levels. Cinnamon content or storage did not give direct effect or trend to the mineral content of the treatments. Vitamin C content was significantly enhanced by increasing cinnamon content, but decreased with storage. The use of cinnamon (3g/200ml zobo) as an additive and preservative in zobo drink production is strongly recommended.