SENSORY PROFILES AND APPRECIATION LEVEL OF THE PULP OF ENDEMIC MALAGASY BAOBAB SPECIES Adansonia grandidieri, Adansonia rubrostipa, Adansonia za AND ONE AFRICAN SPECIES Adansonia digitata

Food sciences and Nutrition

The baobab fruit contains a white, floury pulp which, when mixed with water, makes a refreshing drink. This pulp is of great nutritional value, being rich in vitamins (notably C and A), minerals and phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. With a view to adding value to baobab pulp, the effects of genetic factors on its organoleptic characteristics are studied using sensory analyses. Three endemic Malagasy baobab species: Adansonia grandidieri, A. rubrostipa, A. za, and african species A. digitata are compared with a commonly consumed food: tamarind. The pulps are processed into nectars and then subjected to descriptive and scoring tests. Organoleptic characteristics are found to be variable and specific to each species. A hedonic test showed that nectars from baobab are as popular as tamarind nectars. On the whole, baobab pulp is appreciated, but improvements need to be made during formulation studies in order to develop the product that will add the most value to baobab pulp.

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