Comparison of General Characteristics and Functional Properties of Soft Ice Cream Made with Whey By-Products and Lotus Leaf Extract

This study aimed to address consumer demand for health-functional foods by using natural, health-promoting raw materials in ice cream, a widely popular food. Soft ice cream was manufactured using lotus leaf extract and whey by-product WPC-35 (whey protein concentrate with 35% protein content), and its characteristics were examined. The lotus leaf extract was prepared by soaking lotus leaf powder in ethanol, concentrating it, and freeze-drying the solution into a powdered form. WPC-35 is a whey protein powder containing 35% protein. The analysis revealed that the lactose content of soft ice cream with WPC-35 was 5.93%, higher than that of soft ice cream with lotus leaf extract. Moisture content was 68.2% in soft ice cream with WPC-35 and 65.6% in soft ice cream with lotus leaf extract, showing higher moisture in the WPC-35 variant. No significant difference in ash content was observed between the two types of ice cream. The protein content and emulsifying activity were both slightly higher in soft ice cream with WPC-35 compared to that with lotus leaf extract. Antioxidant activity, measured by electron-donating ability using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, was higher in soft ice cream with lotus leaf extract (92%) than in soft ice cream with WPC-35 (85.7%). In the sensory evaluation, the overall preference score for soft ice cream with lotus leaf extract was 3.9 points, surpassing the score for soft ice cream with WPC-35.