GAC FRUIT: BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS, OPTIONS FOR PROCESSING,

AND UTILISATION OF PROCESSED PRODUCTS

Tuyen Chan Kha*, Minh H. Nguyen
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Brush Road, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia
*Presenter chan.kha@uon.edu.au
Introduction
Gac fruits (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) are rich in nutrients including carotenoids, fatty acids, vitamin E, polyphenol compounds and flavonoids. Medicinal compounds are also found in the
seeds. The plant has the potential to be a high value crop particularly as parts of the fruit can be processed into nutrient supplements and/or natural red and orange colourants. However, the plant
remains underutilised. There is limited information on its requirements in production, and the processing of health products from the fruits is a relatively new area of endeavour. This review will focus on
production of Gac fruit, fruit nutrient and phytochemical composition, and the use of Gac products as nutrient supplements and natural food colorants. A potential processing scheme for Gac fruit is
proposed to help facilitate greater use of this fruit.

!Gac fruit
Gac fruit, Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng, is botanically classified as Family Cucurbitaceae, Genus Momordica, and Species Cochinchinensis. It is also known as baby jackfruit, sweet gourd or
cochinchin gourd in English. The fruit is one of the traditional fruits in Southeast Asia in general, and in Vietnam in particular. The Gac plant can be cultivated from seeds or root tubers, and grows as
dioecious vines that are separate male and female plants (Fig. 1). The Gac fruit is typically round or ovoid in shape, with the exterior skin covered in short spines. Its green skin colour becomes red or
dark orange when ripe. Gac fruit (Fig. 2) comprises orange/yellow skin containing spines, yellow pulp and aril (red flesh surrounding the seeds). The fruit components are also presented in Table 1.!!
Table 1 Weight distribution of fresh Gac fruit (10 fruits)(10)!

Gac fruit

Fig. 1 Gac fruit on vines(10)

Bioactive compounds Skin

24.0 - 43.2
(2)

(1)

189.6 - 1248

14.4 - 49.6
(2)
0.1
(1)

(1)

16.0 - 144.8
(2)

na

Yellow pulp

3700195

49

Aril

1375147

18

Seeds

108452

14

Gac fruit can be processed in several ways (Fig. 3) including drying, extraction of oil, encapsulation and
incorporation into foods such as pasteurised juice and milk beverages, glutinous rice, yoghurt, pasta

(1)

43.0 - 67.2

154.6 - 305.4
(1)
140.0

Drying methods(6,7)

(1)

12.6 - 15.0

Skin(10)

Oil extraction(8,9)

Oil extraction

Air Drying

Air drying

Crude oil

Crude oil

na
Powder
Air dried

Encapsulation

(1)

85.8

(1)

41.8

Gac oil
Freeze dried

Encapsulated oil

Spray-dried

Fig. 3 A potential processing scheme

Table 3. Fatty acid composition and total oil content of Gac aril and seeds(3,4)

Myristic
Palmitic

14:0
16:0
!

16: 1 !

Stearic

18:0

Oleic

18:1 !!
!!

cis-vaccenic

18:1 !

Linoleic

18:2 !!!!"
!!!"!!"

18:3 !

of Gac fruit!

% of total fatty acids

Seeds

Aril

na

0.87

5.6

Palmitoleic

!-linolenic

Abbreviation

22.04

0.1

0.26

60.5

7.06

9.0

34.08

0.5

1.13

20.3

31.43

0.5

2.14

Arachidic

20:0

1.6

0.39

Gadoleic

20:1 !!

na

0.15

Arachidonic

20:4

1.1

0.10

Behenic

22:0

3.0

0.19

Lignoceric

24:0

na

0.14

Powder

Encapsulation

Fatty acids

Powder

Vacuum dried

7.6

12.2 - 21.0

Yellow pulp(10)

(3)

(4)

(1)

Seeds

Aril

0.2

na

45.6 - 67.2

160.0

(2)

0.4
(1)

(1)

0.9

(2)

na

Gac fruit

(2)

0.2

na

Flavonoids

18

processed to make full use of its components and maintain its quality characteristics. It is envisaged that

63.6 - 83.6
(1)

38.4 - 81.6

Polyphenolics

133287

processing would be needed. However, little information is available on how the Gac fruit might be

(3)

2.2

Vitamin E

Skin

Aril
(1)

38.4 - 141.6

!-cryptoxanthin

100

and sauces.

Pulp
(1)

Zeaxanthin

7527475

If the fruit was to be used for all the applications indicated above and more then appropriate

Table 2. Bioactive compounds of fresh Gac fruit (mg/100g)

Lutein

Whole fruit

Processing of Gac fruit(5)

Gac fruit is considered as one of the super fruits, containing extraordinarily high levels of -carotene
and lycopene, and a significant amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, vitamin E concentration is
also comparatively high. Vitamin E, as a natural antioxidant, helps protect Gac oil from oxidation. Other
bioactive compounds including polyphenol and flavonoids are also present in Gac fruit. Those nutrients
(Tables 2 and 3) have proved to be beneficial to humans.

Lycopene

Percentage (%)

Fig. 2 Gac fruit and its components(10)

Bioactive compounds

!-carotene

Fresh weight (g)

Conclusions
The processing scheme of all the parts of Gac fruit including drying, oil extraction and oil encapsulation is proposed.!
The proposed processing scheme should generate products with potential to be utilised in a wide range of foods.!
The utilisation of air-dried powder from the pulp and skins prevents environmental pollution from waste disposal
problem and enhances the overall value of Gac fruit.!

Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the University of Newcastle, Australia for the financial support through a PhD grant for Tuyen Kha.

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