CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

The Philippines is abundant in Ampalaya vegetable which is known as a very

nutritious vegetable. Ampalaya is the Tagalog word for bitter melon, or bitter gourd or

bitter cucumber. Its scientific name is Momordia charantia. It can be found in China,

apan, Indonesia, !ietnam and India. It is a greenish, oblong"shaped fruit that grows on

vines to about #$ centimeters long, with tapering ends. %our in taste, it has many

culinary and medicinal uses in Asia and parts of %outh America and the Carribean.

&ilipino centenarians will remember being forced as children to eat ampalaya

saut'ed with egg. They will also remember seeing (beef ampalaya( on the menus of old

and new Chinese restaurants, and the bitter taste in the ancient Ilocano mi)ed"

vegetable dish called (pinakbet.(

*ecause of its bitterness, researcher came up of a pro+ect that use ampalaya as the

main ingredient despite of its bitter taste. %ome believed that this pro+ect may not work

because of its complicated flavor. thers say that it will outcome good result that most

children would benefit.

This investigatory pro+ect will identify if truly the bitterness of Ampalaya would not

e)ist. Also through this, we can know what are its great effects in our lives including its

benefits in food economy and healthcare.

 

Statement of the Probem

In our modern day, health condition of the country is slowly deteriorating because of

the widespread of non nutritious foods consumed by people.

The researcher believes that she could provide a product that would best answer on

the aim of improving the health condition of our country.

This investigatory pro+ect aims to determine and to find out how the bitterness of

 Ampalaya will work out on the product-s desire flavor and also on the benefits that can

make for our country.

%pecifically, this pro+ect will seek to answer the following uestion/

0. 1hat are the components of Ampalaya candy that makes it nutritious2

#. 1hat are the ingredients of the product that make the bitter taste of ampalaya

lessened2
3. 1hat are the advantages and disadvantages of making the Ampalaya candy2
4. 1hat is the level of acceptability of the product to the consumer by considering

the following variables/

a. Taste
b. dor 
c. Te)ture

Si!nificance of the "tud#

This research pro+ect is worth making because it will help in improving the health

condition of our country. Also in our economy, we can raise and recover it as well.

5iabetes, one of the certain and ma+or diseases in the country, can be prevented.
 

Through this pro+ect, we can learn the benefits the Ampalaya candy can produce for

ourselves and for the others. 6on nutritious foods that are fellow men were eaten will be

lessening. It can be suitable euipment for our future-s generation food frugality.

Deimitation of the "tud#

This paper will talk about the production of Ampalaya candy with its advantages and

disadvantages to our country and to us. This will also provide information on

determining Ampalaya candy for its acceptability to the consumer by its taste, odor and

te)ture. It will discuss how the bitterness of Ampalaya consumed on making this pro+ect.

This paper will not include the parts of Ampalaya, kinds of candy and other sources

that you can use on making this pro+ect. This will only talk about Ampalaya candy and

its information.
 

Definition of Term"

To make this investigatory pro+ect more understandable to those who might come

across it, the researcher includes the definition of some term which will enable to have

aa clearer understanding of the problem they seek to answer. The following are some of 

the words with their corresponding meanings and e)planation.

0. Ampalaya" a vegetable grown throughout the Philippines. As the 7nglish name

suggests 8bitter melon9, the melon has a bitter taste due to the presence of

momordicin.
#. !igor" means physical strength and good health
3. :lucose" a variety of sugar occurring in nature very abundantly, as in ripe

grapes, and in honey, and produced in great uantities from starch, etc., by the

action of heat and acids

4. Ad+unct" a thing added to something else as a supplementary rather than an

essential part
;. Antineoplastic" Any of several drugs that control or kill neoplastic cells< used in

chemotherapy to kill cancer cells< all have unpleasant side effects that may

include nausea and vomiting and hair loss and suppression of bone marrow

function
=. >ypoglycemia" any of various agents that decrease the level of glucose in the

blood and are used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

?. &avism" anemia resulting from eating fava beans< victims have an inherited blood

abnormality and en@yme deficiency.

. :astrointestinal" of or relating to the stomach and the intestines
B. Placebo" A harmless pill, medicine, or procedure prescribed more for the

psychological benefit to the patient than for any physiological effect

0$.5iabetes Mellitus" The commonest form of diabetes, caused by a deficiency of

the pancreatic hormone insulin, which results in a failure to metaboli@e sugars

and starch.
 

00. 5iarrhea" a condition in which feces are discharged from the bowels freuently

and in a liuid form.

0#.6ausea" a feeling of sickness with an inclination to vomit
03.Tepid" nly slightly warm< lukewarm
04.Pectin" A soluble gelatinous polysaccharide that is present in ripe fruits and is

e)tracted for use as a setting agent in +ams and +ellies

 

CHAPTER II

RE$IE% O& RELATED LITERAT'RE

This chapter reviews the work of the researcher on studies closely related to the

present day, as follows/

 According to 5aniel Paul Pascual, a student of *aguio City 6ational >igh school,

ampalaya, amargoso or bitter gourd was one of the most important commercial and

backyard fruit vegetables in the country today. It has both nutritive and medicinal use.

These were rich in calcium,phosphorous, iron, carbohydrates and vitamin*. It was also

known to cure diabetes, arthritis, rheumatism, asthma, warts, and ulcer. Making a candy

within ampalaya was said to be nutritious and delicious because of the nutrients that

ampalaya have.

 According to 5r. :alve@, the former secretary of the %epartment of >ealth,

ampalaya cannot cure diabetes, but it can help control the diseases. The action of

ampalaya on blood sugar is euivalent to the action of the medicine. In response to the

study, the 5epartment of >ealth has elevated the status of ampalaya from a mere

nutritional supplement to a real medicine.

People find ways to counteract the bitter taste of ampalaya by cooking it together 

with other recipes. Mi)ing the chopped ampalaya with eggs can turn its taste delightful

to the taste buds and at the same time reaping the many health benefits of ampalaya.
 

 Analyses of the fruit show that it is a good source of iron and calcium, and a good

source of phosphorus. 5espite its bitter taste, e)tracts from plant parts has become a

popular drink for boosting vigor. In fact, the bitterer, the better, as it is believed that the

bitterness is proportionate to its potency according to :alve@.

 According to 5r. aman and 5r. Dau of Pharmacognosy esearch Daboratories

5epartment of Pharmacy Eing-s College Dondon, Fnited Eingdom, oral administration of 

fruit +uice or seed powder of ampalaya causes a reduction in fasting blood glucose and

improves glucose tolerance.

. osales, M5 and . &ernando, M5, said that  Ampalaya fruit prepared as a

tea is well" tolerated and may be a useful dietary ad+unct in the treatment of type"#

diabetes. It has minor gastrointestinal side effects of increased bowel freuency but

beneficial to those diabetic patients who are constipated.

 According to *asch, :abardi and Flbricht, *itter melon 8Momordica charantia9 is

an alternative therapy that has primarily been used for lowering blood glucose levels in

patients with diabetes mellitus. Components of bitter melon e)tract appear to have

structural similarities to animal insulin. Antiviral and antineoplastic activities have also

been reported in vitro. &our clinical trials found bitter melon +uice, fruit and dried powder

to have a moderate hypoglycemic effect. These studies were small and were not

randomi@ed or double"blind, however. eported adverse effects of bitter melon include

hypoglycemic coma and convulsions in children, reduced fertility in mice, a favism"like

synrome, increases in G"glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels in animals

and headaches. *itter melon may have additive effects when taken with other glucose"

lowering agents. Adeuately powered, randomi@ed, placebo"controlled trials are needed

 

to properly assess safety and efficacy before bitter melon can be routinely

recommended.

 According to ea oy A. MuHo@ of 5%T in egion III, Momordica Charantia or

ampalaya is known for its power to improve numerous infections, cancer and leukemia.

It also has the ability to help a person recover from having a deadly disease known as

5iabetes Mellitus. These days, diabetes mellitus is a disease that contributes to more

than #;,$$$ deaths per year. It is caused by hypoglycemia and the inability of the body

to utili@e insulin. People from the different walks of life suffer from its harmful and

dreadful effects. Many studies regarding medicines against it were performed yet less

were reached by ordinary people and those who usually die amongst those unfortunate.

&rom the article %uper &ood AmpalayaJ, it was said that ampalaya was a super

food eaten by people of other countries as well as &ilipinos because it resembles a big

cucumber with wartd on it. It is native to the trophics +ust like mallunggay and always

seen as one of the ingredient of pinakbet and also in bagoong. It also said that the

medical uses of ampalaya are more important than the culinary uses because it-s bitter

taste has different its nutrients that is very helpful in our body.

In our country, there are areas of malnutrition in different provinces. The %tate of

the 1orld-s Children says it is due to financial problem and also to the food they eat.

Children now seldom eats vegetables and fruits because of many +unk foods in the store

that they are tempt to buy because of its delicious taste, not knowing that it has bad

effects on their health, especially if they eat too much sweet which can cause tooth

decay, tonsillitis and may turn out to be diabetes, and if too much sour, it can also cause
 

F.T.I and or kidney failure. It is not advisable to each too much +unk food because it will

turn out to be very bad on your health.

The researcher found out some disadvantages of ampalaya and ampalaya candy

such as/

Dars Tramilton said that the most common side effects from consuming bitter

melon are digestive problems. These side effects generally are minor and no cause for

alarm. They usually subside within a few days. They include diarrhea, stomachache and

bloating. There are some medications that have the potential to bring upon negative

interactions when taken alongside bitter melon. *itter melon might lower insulin and

glucose levels, so people who have diabetes should not take their diabetic medication

simultaneously with bitter melon.

Fpon its initial harvest, bitter melon is yellow"green in appearance, though it

turns yellowish"orange in color as it ripens. The inside of the melon is seedy, with seeds

of high fibrous content. >owever, according to Inteli>ealth, these fibrous seeds and rind

are e)tremely bitter and to)ic if consumed, causing headache and nausea.

*itter melon has a primary use for effectively lowering high blood glucose levels

in diabetes mellitus patients, as it contains components with structural similarities to

insulin. Although bitter melon aids in the natural lowering of the high blood glucose

levels in diabetic patients, too much of it can lead to hypoglycemic coma, among other

serious health issues. *itter melon is also used as an (anti"viral and anti"neoplastic

activities,( as well as an anti"o)idant, according to Khion >ealth. *itter melon +uice is

often consumed in its natural fruit form, +uice or added with water as a dried powder.
 

 According to Khion >ealth, there have been reported adverse effects of bitter

melon consumption, which included convulsions in children, reduced fertility in mice,

and headaches, in addition to coma. *itter melon may also interfere with normal

glucose levels in non"diabetic individuals. Pregnant women should abstain from

consumption of bitter melon, as such may cause spontaneous abortion, fetal"deformities

andLor future infertility.

 

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCED'RES

The research study uses the combination of uantitative analysis of documentary

materials such as records that already e)ists and e)perimental method to determine the

making of ampalaya candy. The researcher focused mainly on the basic research

process to gather necessary data and information for the study. The completion was

based mainly on the gathered information from books and web pages from computer 

researchers.

Methodoo!#

These are the methods and things that the researcher used in making Ampalaya

candy such as follows/

Things you will need/

• 00"by"?"by"#"inch baking dish

•  Aluminum foil

• *utter 

• 0 0L# cups white sugar 

 

• 0 0L# cups corn syrup

• Darge saucepan

• Candy thermometer 

• 0 cup plus # tablespoons tepid water 

• ? 0L# tablespoons pectin

• 3L4 teaspoon baking soda

• 0L4 cup fresh grated ampalaya

• 3 tablespoons ampalaya powder 

• ; teaspoons flavored e)tract 8your choice9

• Corn starch

• %harp knife

•  Airtight container 

Procedures/

0. Dine the baking dish with aluminum foil. &old the foil over the outside edges of

the baking dish. :rease the foil generously with unsalted butter and set aside.
#. :rease the bottom and sides of a large saucepan heavily with unsalted butter.
 

3. Combine 0 0L# cups white sugar and 0 0L# cups corn syrup in the buttered

saucepan.
4. Place the saucepan over medium"high heat and bring syrupLsugar mi)ture to a

boil. %tir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved.

;. Cook the sugar mi)ture until it reaches the soft"crack stage 8#?$ to #B$ degrees

&ahrenheit9. Eeep track of the temperature with your candy thermometer.

=. Combine 0 cup plus # tablespoons of tepid water, ? 0L# tablespoons of pectin,

and 3L4 teaspoon of baking soda in a separate saucepan. It will produce a head

of foam.
?. Place pectin mi)ture over high heat, stirring constantly, until it boils 8three to five

minutes9. Continue to stir until foam disappears. Dower heat to medium. Eeep the

pectin mi)ture simmering until the sugar mi)ture reaches the soft"crack stage.
. Pour the pectin mi)ture into the sugar mi)ture as you continue to stir. nce the

mi)tures are combined, stir constantly for another three minutes.

B. emove candy mi)ture from heat. Immediately stir in 0L4 cup of fresh grated

ampalaya, 3 tablespoons of ampalaya powder, and ; teaspoons of the flavored

e)tract of your choice.

0$.Pour the mi)ture into the foil"lined baking dish. Allow the candy to set at room

temperature for three and a half hours or until firm.

00. 5ust your work surface with corn starch. Dift the candy from the baking dish using

the aluminum foil. Turn it out onto the dusted work surface.
0#.%lice the candy into 0L#"inch suares with a sharp knife dusted with cornstarch.
03.Pour 0 cup white sugar into a shallow bowl. oll each ampalaya suare in the

sugar. %tore at room temperature in an airtight container.

 

CHAPTER I$

PRESENTATION( ANAL)SIS AND INTERPRETATION O& DATA

0. Ampalya candy is made up of such nutritious ingredients such as ampalaya, honey

as the alternative substance for corn syrup and apple pectin. Ampalaya is rich in

soluble fiber, as well as potassium, iron, folic acid, calcium and phosphorus. It also

contains high levels of vitamins A, * and C as well as in honey. n the other hand,

apple pectin assists in reducing bad cholesterol because it forms a fiber barrier in

the intestinal wall preventing the absorption of cholesterol and other fats, and it

reduces the absorption of glucose.

#. The ingredients of the product that makes the bitter taste of ampalaya lessened

are the sugar and the honey. *ecause of the sweetness of these two, less

bitterness were tasted. Also there are more substances of it that were use than in

ampalaya.
3. Making Ampalaya candy can be an improvised material for anyone who doesn-t eat

ampalaya directly. It helps kids and fellow man to eat ampalaya in a delicious way.

It is very nutritious because of the substances and some of the alternatives we

use. Fnlike other candies, its nutrients are natural and good to our body. n the

other hand, too much consuming of Ampalaya candy is harmful. It can lead to

diabetes, diarrhea and some digestive problems.

4. As we tasted it to others, most people rated the product very good. &rom its color,

they say it-s good and more like a chocolate. n it-s odor, they say it-s like a true

candy and can smell the sweetness and on it-s taste it-s good. A little bit sticky but

nutritious.

CHAPTER $
 

S'MMAR)( CONCL'SIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Concu"ion

  *ased on the observationof the researchers, the ampalaya candy is delicious

but also nutritious that is valuable than the ordinary candy. It contains nutrients needed
by the body. The product is favorable for them and its bitter taste as been lessened.
Most of the people liked the product considering its taste, odor, and te)ture. It is easy to
made and very convenient.

Recommendation

*ased on the results of this product, the following recommendations are hereby

given/

0. Add some vegetables on the Ampalaya Candy or more nutrients and best effect.

#. 5etermine the nutritional contents of Ampalaya Candy.

3. The making of Ampalaya Candy is another way to earn a living

4. Ampalaya candy is an e)celent substitute for imported prunes or other delicacies.

 

%ources/

http/LLwww.charantia.comLampalayaarchiveLAdvancedN#$%earch.htm

http/LLwww.charantia.comLabout"ampalayaL

http/LLwww.untwistedvorte).comLsuper"food"ampalayaL

http/LLwww.ehow.comLhow;?3#;;;make"ampalaya"candy.html

http/LLwww.ampalaya.comL

http:// www. globalpinoy.com/pinoyhealth/ph_gamotpinoy/ampalaya.htm

http/LLregion3.dost.gov.phLinde).php2

optionOcomcontentviewOarticleidO#0;/momocha"momordica"charantia"

chipscatidO##/medicine"and"healthItemidO4;

http/LLwww.ehow.comLabout;$40$44bitter"melon"side"effects.html

http/LLwww.ehow.comLlist?4;==$4bitter"melon"disadvantages.html

http/LLwww.ehow.comLhow;?3#;;;make"ampalaya"candy.html