Nutritional and Antioxidant Properties of Functional Ice Cream Enriched with Soursop (Annona muricata) and Zobo (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Juice Extracts

Aims: The development of functional frozen desserts enriched with tropical plant bioactive is a strategy to enrich conventional indulgent products. The study investigated the effects of different levels of soursop (Annona muricata L.) and zobo (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) juice extracts on the proximate, mineral, antioxidant, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and sensory acceptability of ice cream. Study Design: This original article used a completely randomized experimental design. A control (conventional ice cream) and four functional ice cream formulations (CM1–CM4), where CM1 = 80% ice cream, 5% soursop and 15% zobo juice extract; CM2 = 80% ice cream, 10% soursop and 10% zobo juice extract; CM3 = 80% ice cream, 15% soursop and 5% zobo juice extract and CM4 = 80% ice cream, 20% soursop and 0% zobo juice extract. Place and Duration of Study: Food Science and Technology Laboratory, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria. Juice formulation, storage, and analysis were completed within 30 days, in May, 2025. Methodology: Compositional, antioxidant, and hedonic sensory analyses were conducted using standard methods. Results: Addition of extract significantly (p<0.05) reduced crude fat (14.05–7.04%); increased dietary fiber (0.00–1.58%), moisture (60.80–68.16%), and mineral concentration in all formulations. CM1 showed the highest polyphenol content (3.65 mg GAE/100 ml) and magnesium (65.29 mg/100 g), while CM2 showed superior vitamin C (1.72 mg/100 ml), calcium (40.78 mg/100 g), and potassium (38.08 mg/100 g). CM3 and CM4 received the highest sensory scores (7.00 on a 9-point hedonic scale), which were comparable to the control. DPPH inhibition and FRAP values were concentration-dependent and consistently higher in enriched formulations. Conclusion: Soursop–zobo enriched ice cream, particularly CM1, containing 15% zobo juice extract and 5% soursop juice extract demonstrated a favorable balance of improved nutrition, antioxidant activity and sensory acceptability.