Chemical and thermal properties of sugar palm fruits (<i>Arenga pinnata</i>) at different maturity levels

Arenga pinnata plant produces a large amount of fruit, both young and matured. However, the utilization of sugar palm fruit remains limited. Young sugar palm fruit is generally processed into sweets, while matured sugar palm fruit is often discarded as waste. To optimize the utilization of sugar palm fruit, this study aimed to analyze its chemical composition and thermal properties. The chemical composition included water content, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrates, and crude fiber, while the thermal properties were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to measure the melting temperature and glass transition temperature. The results showed that matured sugar palm fruit had a lower water content (44.43%) and higher amounts of carbohydrates (53.07%) and crude fibre (12.30%). Additionally, matured sugar palm fruit exhibited a higher melting temperature (189.410 0 C) and a glass transition temperature (148.130 0 C). In contrast, young sugar palm fruit had a higher water content (88.169%) and a higher fat content (1.08%) compared to matured palm fruit (0.44%). Young sugar palm fruit also had a lower melting temperature (171.81°C) and glass transition temperature (137.85°C). This study concluded that the ripening stage significantly effects the chemical composition and thermal properties of sugar palm fruit.