Standardization and Quality Characterization of Moringa, Mung Bean, and Pumpkin Simplisia for Functional Food Development

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36568/jone.v4i3.776

Keywords:

adolescent anaemia, functional food, Moringa oleifera, simplisia standardisation, stunting

Abstract

Childhood stunting and adolescent anaemia remain important nutrition challenges in Indonesia, requiring sustainable food-based approaches using locally available resources. The development of functional foods requires consistent and quality-controlled raw materials to ensure reproducible formulation processes. This study aimed to produce and characterize standardized simplisia from moringa leaf (Moringa oleifera), mung bean (Vigna radiata), and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) as preliminary raw materials for functional food development. This experimental descriptive-characterization study represented the first phase of the two-year “Keloreal Berani Sehat” program. Three plant materials obtained from local producers in Central Sulawesi and East Java were processed following national herbal-material preparation procedures. Quality evaluation included yield (rendemen), loss on drying, and descriptive organoleptic characterization. Each material was processed in a single production batch, and data were analyzed descriptively according to established quality criteria. The resulting simplisia showed low moisture content, with loss on drying values of 4.7% for moringa leaf, 4.4% for mung bean, and 5.4% for pumpkin, all below the 10% threshold specified for dried herbal materials. Yield varied according to the characteristics of the source materials, with mung bean showing the highest yield (97.3%), followed by moringa leaf (28.5%) and pumpkin (12.2%). All samples showed acceptable physical characteristics and absence of visible foreign matter. These findings establish a traceable and standardized raw material foundation for subsequent functional food formulation studies, including nutritional composition analysis, bioactive evaluation, processing optimization, and acceptability assessment.

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Published

2026-08-19

How to Cite

Mujayanto, M., Taufiqurrahman, T., Amsal, A., & Hafid, F. (2026). Standardization and Quality Characterization of Moringa, Mung Bean, and Pumpkin Simplisia for Functional Food Development. Journal of Nutrition Explorations, 4(3), 460–470. https://doi.org/10.36568/jone.v4i3.776

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Vol. 4 No. 3 (2026): August

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Copyright (c) 2026 Mujayanto, Taufiqurrahman, Amsal, Fahmi Hafid

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