Fortification in Jaggery for Anti-Oxidant and Neuroprotective Benefits: Standardization, Sensory Preference, and Chemometric Analysis

Jaggery derived from sugarcane, palm, and coconut was fortified with varying concentrations of Triphala extract. ‘Triphala’ is one of the popular and well-known Indian medicinal botanicals. The concentration-dependent effect of fortification of Triphala on nutritional value, buffering capacity, physicochemical characterization, marker-based standardization antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase inhibition capacity, and sensory preference was evaluated. To get the optimum benefits of Triphala-fortified jaggery (TFJ), standardization and quality were achieved by different analytical techniques and chemometric approaches. Scanning electron microscopic characterizes the heterogeneous microstructure of TFJ sample varied particle formation, sizes, texture, and distribution. Highest organic content was found in Palm jaggery. The calcium and magnesium content of respective jaggery was enriched with Triphala fortification while decreasing the total carbohydrate (12–15%). TFJ was characterized by spectroscopic, thermogravimetric, and chromatographic methods. Chemometric analyses classified TFJ fortification into two categories by addressing about 75% variability and discriminating 10% TFJ from the rest of the samples. The taste and overall impression scores of sensory evaluations showed the preferential choice for 7.5% fortification of Triphala. The antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase results confirmed that Triphala fortification enhanced its antioxidant and neuroprotective effects by fortifying phenolics and hydrolyzable tannins, indicating its potential effectiveness against Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.