Participant Detail

Research Title

ARREUS: Innovative Nutrient-Rich Pudding Based on Arenga pinnata and Dragon Fruit Peel Waste (Selenicereus undatus) to Support Childhood Stunting Prevention

Research Abstract

Finalist’s Name : TIARA AYUNDA CAHYANDARU Title of the Project : ARREUS: Innovative Nutrient-Rich Pudding Based on Arenga pinnata and Dragon Fruit Peel Waste (Selenicereus undatus) to Support Childhood Stunting Prevention Category : WASTE MANAGEMENT Country : INDONESIA Supervisor/teacher name : LINA WAHYUNI Purpose of the Project : The primary objectives of this project are: 1. To explore the potential utilization of dragon fruit peel waste (Selenicereus undatus) as a source of antioxidants in the development of functional food products. 2. To develop a functional pudding product using a combination of dragon fruit peel extract and kolang-kaling (Arenga pinnata) as nutritious ingredients. 3. To evaluate the potential health benefits and value of the developed pudding as a functional food while promoting the utilization of agricultural waste. Hypothesis : AREUS pudding, developed from dragon fruit peel (Selenicereus undatus) and kolang-kaling (Arenga pinnata), is hypothesized to be a functional food that not only provides high antioxidant and dietary fiber content but also delivers an appealing taste, texture, and color. This product is expected to demonstrate that agricultural waste can be transformed into a nutritious and innovative food solution for improving public health. Procedures or Methods : 1. Research Design This study uses an experimental design to develop and evaluate AREUS pudding made from kolang-kaling (Arenga pinnata) and dragon fruit peel (Selenicereus undatus). 2. Materials and Tools Materials: 200 g kolang-kaling, 200 g dragon fruit peel, 600 ml water, 100 g sugar, agar powder. Tools: Blender, pot, stove, pudding mold, spoon. 3. Pudding Preparation Dragon Fruit Peel Extract: Peels are washed, chopped, blended with water until smooth, and filtered to obtain extract. Kolang-Kaling Pulp: Soft kolang-kaling is washed, cut into 1–3 cm pieces, blended with water (1:1) to form pulp (Khairani, 2018). Pudding Formation: Dragon fruit peel extract and kolang-kaling pulp are mixed with agar, sugar, and water, boiled until homogeneous, cooled, and poured into molds to set. 4. Nutritional Analysis AREUS pudding was analyzed for total sugar, ash, water content, total calories, fat, protein, total carbohydrates, sodium, and overall nutritional value. 5. Organoleptic Test Sensory evaluation was conducted by 25 panelists assessing taste, texture, and color using a hedonic scale: Good (3), Average (2), Poor (1) (Soekarto in Nilawati, 2019). Indicators: Taste: Sweet (3), Not sweet (2), Less sweet (1) Texture: Chewy (3), Not chewy (2), Less springy (1) Color: Purplish red (3), Red (2), Pink (1) 6. Data Analysis Quantitative descriptive analysis was applied to process numerical scores and percentages, with quality categories based on mean values: 2.4–3.0 = Good 1.8–2.3 = Fair 1.1–1.7 = Less (Arikunto, 2014). The final evaluation determined AREUS pudding quality based on taste, texture, and color using the structured test sheets completed by panelists. Data or Results : 1. Nutritional Content of AREUS Pudding AREUS pudding, made from kolang-kaling and dragon fruit peel extract, was analyzed for its chemical composition. The results showed: total sugar 15.60%, ash 0.43%, water 77.79%, total calories 90 kcal/100g, fat 0.124%, protein 0.665%, total carbohydrates 20.99%, and sodium 683.9 mg/kg. The pudding is low in fat and calories, making it suitable as a diet food, while its carbohydrate and fiber content provides satiety. Ash and sodium levels are within safe and standard limits (Yuliani et al., 2012; Prihatini et al., 2016; Jauhari et al., 2019; Lage et al., 2019). Overall, the chemical analysis indicates that AREUS pudding can be developed as a functional food. 2. Organoleptic Test Results A sensory evaluation with 25 panelists assessed taste, texture, and color. AREUS pudding received the following scores: taste 2.64 (sweet), texture 2.44 (chewy), and color 2.84 (purplish red), all categorized as “Good.” The sweet taste corresponds to panelists’ preference, the chewy texture results from the homogeneous mixture of kolang-kaling and dragon fruit peel with agar, and the attractive purplish-red color enhances visual appeal and appetite. These results demonstrate that AREUS pudding is acceptable in terms of sensory qualities and meets the expected criteria for functional food products. Conclusion : 1. The results of the chemical content test on AREUS pudding showed the presence of tora sugar content of 15.60%; ash content of 0.430%; water content of 77.79%; total calories of 90 kcal/kg; fat content of 0.124%; protein content of 0.665%; total carbohydrates of 20.99%, and sodium salt of 683.9mg/Kg. These results indicate that AREUS pudding can be developed as a functional food 2. Organoleptic test results on AREUS pudding showed the quality of the pudding according to the indicators is good. For taste, the score is 2.64, which is sweet, the texture scores 2.44 which is in the good category according to the indicator, namely chewy texture. The color of AREUS pudding scored 2.84 which is in the good category according to the indicator which has a purplish red color. References Anderson, J. W., Baird, P., Davis, R. H., Ferreri, S., Knudtson, M., Koraym, A., Waters, V., & Williams, C. L. (2009). Health benefits of dietary fiber. Nutrition Reviews, 67(4), 188–205. Chumroenvidhayakul, S., Thilavech, T., Abeywardena, M., & Adisakwattana, S. (2023). Dragon fruit peel waste (Hylocereus undatus) as a potential ingredient for reducing lipid peroxidation, dietary advanced glycation end products, and starch digestibility in cookies. Antioxidants, 12(5), 1002. Fardet, A., & Rock, E. (2018). Towards a new generation of composite food quality evaluation tools: Application to pudding and desserts. Food Research International, 113, 441–450. Granato, D., Branco, G. F., Nazzaro, F., Cruz, A. G., & Faria, J. de A. F. (2010). Functional foods and nondairy probiotic food development: Trends, concepts, and products. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 9(3), 292–302. Halliwell, B. (2012). Free radicals and antioxidants: Updating a personal view. Nutrition Reviews, 70(5), 257–265. Mulyati, A. H., Nurmayani, R., Widiastuti, D., Warnasih, S., & Sinaga, S. E. (2025). Antioxidant potential and active compound identification of Hylocereus costaricensis and Hylocereus undatus peel extracts. Chimica et Natura Acta, 13(2), Article 61186. Putri, I. M., Rukmansyah, A., & Adinda Adriansyah, P. N. (2023). Pemanfaatan nanas utuh (daging, kulit dan ekstrak buah nanas) sebagai produk pangan fungsional berkelanjutan. Jurnal Teknologi Hasil Pertanian. Jauhari, M. T., Santoso, & Anantanyu, S. (2019). Asupan protein dan kalsium serta aktivitas fisik pada anak usia sekolah dasar. Jurnal Ilmu Gizi Indonesia, 2(2), 79–88. Khairani, S. (2018). Pemanfaatan kolang kaling dan buah nenas dalam pembuatan selai campuran (Undergraduate thesis). Universitas Riau. Lage, M. D., Ningsih, P., & Sakung, J. (2019). Analisis kandungan kalium, magnesium dan natrium ekstrak labu siam (Sechium edule sw). Jurnal Akademika Kimia, 8(1), 2477–5185. Prihatini, S., Diana, J. E., & Hermina. (2016). Kontribusi jenis bahan makanan terhadap konsumsi natrium pada anak usia 6–18 tahun di Indonesia. Jurnal Penelitian Gizi dan Makanan, 39(1), 55–63. Sari, R., Vonny, S. J., & Noviar, H. (2020). Characteristics of kolang kaling slice jam with addition of red dragon fruit. Jurnal Agroindustri Halal, 6(1), 57–65. Tusiyem, T., Suroso, A., Retnowaty, S. F., & Wirman, S. P. (2015). Uji fisis dan pH manisan air buah kolang kaling. Jurnal Phot, 5, 53–62. Yuliani, N., Maulinda, N., & Sutamiharja, R. (2012). Analisis proksimat dan kekuatan gel agar agar dari rumput laut kering pada beberapa pasar tradisional. Jurnal Sains Nat. Univ. Nusa Bangsa, 2, 102–115. Supervisor’s Name : LINA WAHYUNI Supervisor’s email address : linawahyuniananda@gmail.com Date : 08 March 2026