<div style="text-align: justify;">Amrakhand is a variation of shrikhand where it is mixed with pureed mango popular in western part of southern peninsula of India; consumers in Gujarat prefer its sweet variety while those in Maharashtra prefer the tangy/soury variety. High sugar content in the Amrakhand contributes to the total energy intake; carbohydrate is the most restricted item in the diet of both dietetic and diabetic individuals. Stevia is a natural sweetener with zero calories and its beneficial influence on human health, there is a great possibility of its use in food industry. The main aim of study was to investigate the sensory quality of Amrakhand prepared by using stevia leaf extract powder at different level of concentrations. Six different concentrations of sucrose and stevia used were 30:70(T1), 25:75 (T2), 20:80 (T3), 15:85 (T4), 10:90 (T5) based on quantity of chakka. Control sample (T0) was prepared from 100:0 sucrose and stevia leaf extract powder concentration. Sensory attributes (colour and appearance, flavor, Mouthfeel, Body and texture, taste and overall acceptability) were judged by panel using 9- point hedonic scale the preferred order of samples was as follows : T1&gt;T2&gt;T0&gt;T3&gt;T4&gt;T5. Amrakhand with treatment T1 (30:70) was more acceptable by the panel of judges.&nbsp;</div>

Effect of stevia leaf extract powder on sensory characteristics of Amrakhand

<div>Background: The name Amrakhand comes from two words &lsquo;aam&rsquo; and &lsquo;shrikhand&rsquo; literally meaning mango shrikhand. It is popular mango yoghurt in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Amrakhand contains high sugar content, but in the context of health consciousness refined carbohydrate is necessary to curb in the diet of both insulin and non-insulin dependent diabetic patient. Hence dietetic Amrakhand was prepared using stevia to study its effect and suitability as a natural sweetener. 
 
Methods: Amrakhand prepared using different proportions of sucrose and powdered stevia leaf extract. The proportions used are 30:70 (T1), 25:75 (T2), 20: 80 (T3), 15:85 (T4), 10:90 (T5) with control sample 100:0 (T0). Textural properties of dietetic Amrakhand such as hardness, consistency, index of viscosity and cohesiveness were evaluated by using a texture analyzer (TA-XT2I, Stable Micro System, UK). 
 
Result: Textural parameters reveals that effect of increasing the concentration level of powdered stevia leaf extract, decreases the hardness, consistency, cohesiveness and index of viscosity values of the product. Whereas good sensory results were found at 70% (T1) of sucrose replacement by stevia leaf extract in dietetic Amrakhand. Hence, present paper focused on evaluation of textural characterization of dietetic Amrakhand prepared by using Stevia leaf extracts powder.</div>

Effect of stevia leaf extract powder on sensory characteristics of Amrakhand

Textural Characterization of Dietetic Amrakhand Prepared by using Stevia Leaf Extracts Powder