Quality and Antioxidant Activity of Low-Sugar Sweet Pumpkin Yanggaeng with Citron (Citrus junos) Powder

This study was conducted to investigate the sensory quality characteristics, antioxidant activities, and physical properties of low-sugar sweet pumpkin Yanggaeng supplemented with various concentrations of citron (Citrus junos) powder (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8%). As the citron powder content increased, the moisture content of the Yanggaeng significantly increased, ranging from 55.00% to 67.83%, while the pH decreased from 6.38 to 5.41 due to the organic acids present in the citron (p<0.05). In the color analysis, lightness (L) decreased, whereas redness (a) and yellowness (b) increased significantly with higher citron powder levels. Antioxidant evaluation revealed that total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity improved proportionally with the addition of citron powder, enhancing the functional value of the product. Texture profile analysis showed that the addition of citron powder significantly reduced hardness and chewiness, providing a softer mouthfeel compared to typical low-sugar products. In the sensory evaluation, the 4% citron powder addition group (SY4) achieved the highest scores for overall acceptability. These results suggest that 4% citron powder is the optimal level for enhancing the functional and sensory qualities of low-sugar sweet pumpkin Yanggaeng.