Bael (Aegle marmelos) fruit-based effervescent tablet formulations: Impact on physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and sensory attributes

This study investigates the formulation and optimization of effervescent tablets made from freeze-dried bael (<i>Aegle marmelos</i>) fruit pulp, focusing on selecting appropriate excipients to enhance stability and ensure the effective release of its bioactive compounds for health benefits. The formulations-S₀ (100 % fruit pulp), S₁ (20 % citric acid), S₂ (10 % citric acid and 10 % ascorbic acid), and S₃ (20 % ascorbic acid) combined with equal parts of dried bael pulp, sodium bicarbonate, sugar, polyethylene glycol, and stevia were assessed for their physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and sensory study. The S₁ demonstrated the fastest dissolution time (189 s), along with the lowest bulk density (0.488 ± 0.001 g/mL), tapped density (0.525 ± 0.001 g/mL), Hausner ratio (1.104 ± 0.114), and Cohesiveness index (0.075 ± 0.002), indicating better physicochemical properties. Among the formulations, the S₃ showed the highest vitamin C (788 ± 0.05 μM AAE/g DM), total phenolic content (1289.17 μg GAE/g of DM), and total carotenoid content (19.3 ± 1.37 μM β-carotene E/g DM). The antioxidant and antidiabetic activity ranked: S₂ ≈ S₃>S₁>S₀. The presence of polyphenolic compounds in the bael fruit pulp was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. According to the sensory study, S₁ stands out for its superior color, flavor, and satisfactory overall sensory experience; it exhibited a strong positive correlation with PC1, and highlights the critical sensory attributes influencing consumer perception. Therefore, these findings suggest that bael fruit-based effervescent tablets offer promising potential as a ready-to-drink product with beneficial health properties.