Vol. 9, Issue 2, Part H (2025)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is a tropical fruit valued for its rich nutritional and bioactive profile, including ascorbic acid (AA), phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. However, its high perishability necessitates effective preservation methods, such as retort processing, to ensure microbial safety and extended shelf life. This study investigates the impact of retort processing on the physicochemical and bioactive properties of ripe jackfruit pulp, focusing on AA, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), DPPH antioxidant activity, total sugar, and microbial reduction. RJP was subjected to retort processing at different temperature-time combinations (105-120 °C for 5-15 minutes). Process optimization identified 106 °C for 5 minutes as the ideal retort processing condition, yielding a high desirability value of 0.956. Under these conditions, AA (11.03±0.38 mg/100 g), TPC (68.53±3.14 mg GAE/100 g), and total sugar (20.07±0.69%) were maximized, while microbial load remained within safe limits (<1 log CFU/g). DPPH antioxidant activity slightly decreased from 82.83±3.80% to 80.48±2.90%, with temperature identified as the dominant factor influencing quality parameters (p<0.0001). These findings highlight the importance of optimizing retort processing parameters to balance microbial safety, nutritional integrity, and extended shelf life. The study provides valuable insights for the food processing industry in developing high-quality, shelf-stable jackfruit-based product.