BACKGROU D I TRODUCTIO

1

I. I TRODUCTIO

A. BACKGROU D

Functional food is natural or processed food which contains one or more compounds based on scientific studies deemed to have specific physiological functions that are beneficial to health. One of the functional food that has been studied is green grass plant that contains both functional components and hydrocolloid gelling components. Based on the Food Category issued by Indonesian Drug and Food Control Agency 2006, green grass jelly is a product derived from the leaf extract of several types of plants, one of them is Premna oblongifolia Merr. This gel is formed in cool conditions and does not require another gelling agent. Green grass jelly consumed as drink or dessert. Traditionally, this plant has been used as a febrifuge antipyrectic, reducing the risk of gastroenteritis, nausea, and high blood pressure Sunanto 1995. Some studies also mention the other benefits of green grass jelly, such as an anticancer Ananta 2000, increasing the number of lymphocytes Pandoyo 2000, decreasing the amount of free radicals Handayani 2000, increasing the antioxidant capacity of lymphocytes Koessitoresmi 2002, and not toxic for the body Arisudana 2003; Nugrahenny 2003. Consumption of green grass jelly is still limited because it is perishable. Green grass jelly stored too long will be contaminated by large amount of microbes. This is due to the lack of heating in the production process of green grass jelly since the gel will not be formed at the temperature of 80 o C or more Research Institute of Chemical Semarang 1976 in Ananta 2000. Pramitasari 2012 reported that steaming of green grass jelly at 100 o C for 5 minutes could decline the total number of microbes on average of 1.071.10 log CFUg, the amount of E. coli on average of 1.001.18 log CFUg, and the number of Staphylococcus sp. on average of 0.290.71 log CFUg. However, increasing temperature also incrases the syneresis and decreases its texture. This treatment could enhance the syneresis on average of 7.829.03 and reduce the gel strength on average of 1.972.99 gcm 2 . Addition of hydrocolloid could be a solution to solve this problem. Green grass jelly is expected to have a good texture despite having the heating process. Gelling hydrocolloid component of green grass jelly Premna oblongifolia Merr. itself has the same characteristics as other hydrocolloid, such as Low Methoxyl Pectin LMP and alginates. Calcium mineral is needed to form a gel, similar with alginates and iotacarrageenan. The gel mechanism of green grass jelly is an egg box model Artha 2001. Source of calcium that can be used is CaCO 3 . As had been done previously by Camus 2000, Setyaningtyas 2000, and Rustanti 2000 where the addition of hydrocolloid could reduce syneresis and improve gel strength of green grass jelly. Heating will also lead to chlorophyll degradation reaction to form a brownish pheophytin Gross 1991. Pramitasari 2012 reported that steaming at temperature of 100 o C for 5 minutes could change the color of green green grass jelly to be brownish green because of heat and low pH. With the degradation of chlorophyll, the antioxidant capacity of green grass jelly is expected to decline due to the loss of metal at the center of the porphyrin ring on the chlorophyll structure Ferruzzi et al. 2002. One solution that can be conducted to overcome the problem of chlorophyll degradation is addition of NaHCO 3 that works to raise the pH so that the chlorophyll degradation reaction can not occur Koca et 2 al. 2006. Functional properties of green grass jelly are also expected to decline due to steaming. Functional properties degradation of green grass jelly gel are not expected to occur significantly. Thus, it is necessary to determine the formula of green grass jelly extract, NaHCO 3 , hydrocolloid, and CaCO 3 which are appropriate and able to be combined with the application of steaming process that can provide the best effect in improving the quality and safety of the product microbiologically, giving a minimal effect on the physical and functional properties, and accepted by the panelists organoleptically.

B. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE