EFFECT OF GAMMA RADIATION ON PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF

SPICES
Rukhama Haq, Afifa Gorsi, Neelma Munir and Faiza Saleem
1

Department of Biotechnology, LCWU, Lahore

Corresponding author e. mail: rukhama87@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Spices are dried seed, fruits, bark and vegetable substances used for flavoring, taste, and coloring
and also more important is as preservative agents. Spices have medicinal and antimicrobial
properties. The samples were studied before and after irradiation. In present research, Spices
(garam masala) were exposed to two different doses of -radiation i.e. 3 kGy and 6 kGy. The
quality and nutritional values of spices were analyzed to determine the proximate composition.
At 6 kGy the nutritional value of treated garam masala was considered acceptable, because at
this dose the values of moisture content was 9.1+1.41a, ash content (81.2+1.30a), fats
(47.2+1.18a), crude fibre (19.00+0.49b), proteins (11.22+0.04a) and carbohydrates (69.62+1.7b)
were quite acceptable. As the gamma radiation has significant effect on the shelf life of spice
powder (garam masala) without effecting its chemical composition. The results were indicative
of the fact that gamma radiation at low doses does not change the nutritional value. It was
observed that protein, carbohydrates as well as fats which are the major nutritional components
of any food did not affect significantly with gamma radiation. It was found that the effective and
optimized doses increase the shelf life of spice powder (garam masala) and also export value in
Pakistan. Sensory evaluation showed no significant differences between irradiated and nonirradiated
samples.

INTRODUCTION
Spices can be defined as vegetable products
used for flavoring, seasoning and imparting
aroma in foods. Spices are grown as trees,
shrubs, perennials, annuals, wild and
cultivated. Many spice plants are usually
considered as having medicinal properties,
and there is therefore some overlap between
(MAPs). Spices can be used in household
and personal hygiene products. They also

contribute to nutrition, can provide

traditional medicinal benefits and can
garnish foods making them them and
Medicinal Aromatic Plants more appetizing
to eat (Matthews, 2011).
Food cannot become radioactive through
exposure to gamma rays from 60Co, 137Cs.
This is a very minor treatment as a radiation
dose of 1 kGy represents the absorption of
only enough energy to increase the
temperature of the product by 0.36C. In
fact, heating, drying, and cooking may cause

higher nutritional losses. Moreover, certain

carcinogenic aromatic and heterocyclic ring
compounds
formed
during
thermal
processing of food at high temperatures
were not recognized in food after irradiation
(Becker, 1983; Khan, 2010).
Keeping in view the above statement, it is
deduced that different methods of
sterilization are used to remove the allmicrobial contents and also for increasing
their shelf life, radiation sterilization is the
best method for this. In irradiated food
disease, causing microorganisms will be
reduced or eliminated, nutritional value is
essentially unchanged and the most
important is food does not become
radioactive. Irradiation is a safe and
effective technology to keep the food safe
and healthy. Proximate analysis is use to
measurement of moisture, ash, fat content
and also carbohydrates, proteins in the
product.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aims of current research are to prove
that radiation increases the shelf life of
spices and as well as export value of
irradiated spices from Pakistan. The
objectives of the present study are to prove
that spices, apart from providing greater
nutrient content, can also be irradiated for
sterilization purposes and to check the
optimized dose of gamma radiation for
preservation of spices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The moisture test was performed by keeping
the sample in in hot-air oven at 130 C for 1

hour. The sample was cooled and weighed

(AOAC 2005 Official method No. 934.01,
934.06 or 964.22). for determination of ash,
sample was first be ignited and then placed
in Muffle furnace at 500oC 550oC
temperature for 4 to 6 hours till the sample
become ash (AOAC 2005 Official method
No. 923.03, 942.05 or 945.46). Percentage
of fat was calculated gravimetrically by
using soxhlet apparatus in which the
extraction of sample in thimble was carried
out for 6 hours with 500 ml of ethanol
(AOAC 2005 Official method No. 922.06,
925.12, 989.05 or 954.02). Crude fiber test
was performed by digestion of sample with
H2S04 and NaOH (AOAC 2005 Official
method No. 985.29 or 991.43). : Protein in
the sample was determined by Kjeldahl
method. Total protein was calculated by
multiplying the amount of nitrogen with
appropriate factor (6.25) (AOAC 2005
Official method No. 991.20). By difference
the carbohydrate content was determined
(AOAC 2005 Official method No. 979.06 or
985.10). Result and Discussion:
The study was carried out to increase the
shelf life of spices (garam masala) by
treatment with gamma radiation at different
doses. During the present work, it was
observed that protein, carbohydrates as well
as fats which are the major nutritional
components of any food did not affect
significantly with gamma radiation (Arici,
2007).
The effect of gamma radiation on moisture
content of spice powder (garam masala)
indicated that moisture content increased
after the gamma treatment. The increase in
moisture content was found to be dose

dependent. . The moisture content of spices

from 8-9% was reported by Nwinuka
(2005) at 6 kGy. The moisture contents of
spice powder were not significantly affected
by the irradiation and were not dose
dependent (Table 2).
The crude fat content in spice powder was
up to 40-46% investigated by Farkas (1998).
Whereas Karada (2008) reported that fat
content in spices increased from 41-47%
with the increase in the level of gamma
radiation. However, at 6 kGy the fat content
does not show any significant change. As
the radiation dosage increase, there is an
increase in fat content.
Caulfield et al. (2009) reported that gamma
irradiation treatment decreased fiber content.
In their research on the proximate analysis
of spice powder concluded that the dietary
fiber content in spice powder was found up
to 25% and decrease with the increase in
gamma dose. Khattak et al. (2006) also
reported that there were no significant
differences in the fibre content of control
and radiated chickpea at 6 kGy.
Abrar (2009) said that the effect of gamma
radiation on the ash of spices showed that as
the gamma radiation dose was increased the
ash content of spices decreased. Similar
findings were deduced by Arab et al. (2010),
reported that the ash is decreased in
irradiated spice powder (garam masala) at
higher dose and determined the ash content
of spice powder at 6 kGy does not show a
drastic change in ash level.
The results of the present study showed no
significant change in protein content after
radiation. Protein content of spice powder

decreases with the passage of time. By

comparing present work results with
literature the content of protein was found to
be up to 13%. Nawaz (2009) also reported
decrease in protein content at higher dose.
But the level of protein of radiated and nonradiated does not differ significantly.
Sulochana (2011) reported that the spice
powder of carbohydrates showed the
enhancement of its level with the increase in
gamma dose. As a comparison similar
research was done where carbohydrates in
spice powder (garam masala) ranges from
50% to 60% which does not differ
considerably.
Gamma irradiation is a phytosanitary
treatment applied to food and herbal
materials that improves the hygienic quality
and reduces the losses due to microbial
contamination and insect damage (IAEA,
1992; Farkas, 1998).
Conclusion:
Radiation decontamination of medicinal
plants and spices is a safe and very effective
method. Keeping in view, the high export
prospective of spices and the transport losses
due to infestation, this study was proved
highly significant. From the study it has
been concluded that spice irradiated at 6.0
kGy shows no change on the proximate
composition as well as on the sensory
properties. Therefore, the recommended
dosage for the conservation of spice powder
(garam masala) is 6.0 kGy storage.
Irradiation at 6.0 kGy on spice sample has
no negative effect on the nutritional quality

of food, so irradiation is a promising

technique to enhance the shelf life of spices.

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Table 1: Proximate properties of irradiated and non-irradiated spice:

Parameters

Moisture

Ash

Fat

Fibre

Protein

Dose (kGy)
0.0

8.6+0.40a

7.3+1.45c

8.2+0.49b

8.8+0.67a

7.2+0.64a

8.5+1.30b

9.0+1.46c

7.1+1.25b

9.1+1.41a

87+1.38b

90.3+1.53c

89.0+1.48b

87+1.38a

87.1+1.41a

84.6+1.34c

87+1.38a

82.3+1.31ab

81.2+1.30a

16.5+0.35c

25.0+0.71a

46.2+1.14c

16.8+0.37b

26.4+0.76b

47.0+1.16a

16.9+0.38a

26.7+0.78c

47.2+1.18a

25.4+0.74a

19.9+0.56b

18.7+0.43a

25.5+0.76b

20.1+0.59c

18.9+0.45c

25.6+0.77c

20.2+0.61b

19.00+0.49b

13.40+0.25b
13.19+0.21a

Carbohydrates

13.21+0.20a
12.89+0.17b

13.00+0.19c

12.76+0.14c

50.93+ 1.53a

62.70+1.66c

51.83+1.58c
52.49+1.61b

50.87+1.51a
49.27+1.34b

11.88+0.09c
11.53+0.07b
11.22+0.04a
68.77+1.75a
71.96+1.82c
69.62+1.79b

moisture content g100g-1

9.2
9.1
9
8.9
8.8
8.7
8.6
8.5
8.4
8.3

garam masala

Control

Optimized Doze

samples

89.5
89
Ash Content g100g-1

88.5
88
87.5

garam masala

87
86.5
86
control

optimized dose

Samples

Fat Content

g100g-1

25
20
15
10

garam masala

5
0
control

optimized dose

Samples

fibre content g100g-1

30
25
20
15
garam masala

10
5
0
control

optimized dose

Samples

14
Protein content g100g-1

13.5
13
12.5
12
garam masala
11.5
11
10.5
10
control

optimized dose
Samples

62

Carbohydrates g100g-1

60
58
56
54
garam masala

52
50
48
46
control

optimized dose
Samples