Formulation and Characterization of Instant Herbal Powder of Tinospora crispa and Citrus aurantifolia with Taste-Masking Excipients / Formulasi dan Karakterisasi Jamu Serbuk Instan Tinospora crispa dan Citrus aurantifolia dengan Eksipien Taste Masking

Tinospora crispa has a strong bitter taste that can limit palatability. Bitter sensation is detected by taste receptors distributed across the tongue and may be prominent in the posterior tongue, where circumvallate papillae contain numerous taste buds. Citrus aurantifolia may modify this sensory profile. This study aimed to formulate an instant herbal powder containing Tinospora crispa and Citrus aurantifolia with graded maltodextrin-sucrose ratios and to evaluate its initial physical and sensory characteristics. Three formulas containing 20-40% maltodextrin and 45-65% sucrose were prepared in triplicate. Organoleptic properties, visual homogeneity, flow properties, moisture content, dissolution time, pH, and exploratory hedonic responses from seven untrained panelists were evaluated. Physical data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD, while sensory data were analyzed using the Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction. All formulas were fine, visually homogeneous powders with a pH of 5 and moisture content of 2.50-3.67%. The excipient ratio significantly affected angle of repose and moisture content. Global differences were found for taste and overall acceptance, but no pairwise comparison remained significant after correction. F1 had the lowest moisture content, F2 the lowest angle of repose and fastest descriptive dissolution time, and F3 the fastest flow time and highest descriptive taste and overall-acceptance scores. Overall, no single formulation was superior across all physical parameters. However, F3 demonstrated the most favorable overall performance, particularly in the sensory evaluation, indicating its potential for further development.

Tinospora crispa memiliki rasa pahit kuat yang dapat membatasi palatabilitas. Sensasi pahit dideteksi oleh reseptor pengecap yang tersebar pada lidah dan dapat terasa menonjol pada bagian posterior atau pangkal lidah, tempat papila sirkumvalata mengandung banyak kuncup pengecap. Citrus aurantifolia berpotensi memodifikasi profil sensori tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan memformulasikan jamu serbuk instan kombinasi Tinospora crispa dan Citrus aurantifolia dengan variasi rasio maltodekstrin-sukrosa serta mengevaluasi karakteristik fisik dan sensorinya. Tiga formula yang mengandung maltodekstrin 20-40% dan sukrosa 45-65% dibuat dalam tiga replikasi. Evaluasi meliputi organoleptik, homogenitas visual, sifat alir, kadar air, waktu larut, pH, dan respons hedonik eksploratif dari tujuh panelis tidak terlatih. Data fisik dianalisis menggunakan one-way ANOVA dan Tukey HSD, sedangkan data sensori dianalisis menggunakan Friedman test dan Wilcoxon signed-rank test dengan koreksi Bonferroni. Seluruh formula berupa serbuk halus dan homogen secara visual, memiliki pH 5, serta kadar air 2,50-3,67%. Rasio eksipien berpengaruh bermakna terhadap sudut diam dan kadar air. Terdapat perbedaan global pada rasa dan penerimaan keseluruhan, tetapi tidak ada pasangan formula yang tetap bermakna setelah koreksi. F1 memiliki kadar air terendah, F2 menunjukkan sudut diam terendah dan waktu larut tercepat secara deskriptif, sedangkan F3 menunjukkan waktu alir tercepat serta skor deskriptif rasa dan penerimaan keseluruhan tertinggi. Secara keseluruhan, tidak terdapat satu formula yang unggul pada seluruh parameter fisik. Namun, F3 menunjukkan performa keseluruhan yang paling baik, terutama berdasarkan hasil evaluasi sensori, sehingga berpotensi untuk dikembangkan lebih lanjut.