PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN AIR KELAPA FERMENTASI DAN PENAMBAHAN SARI DAUN KELOR (Moringa oleifera L) TERHADAP SIFAT FISIKOKIMIA PADA NATA DE COCO

Nata de coco is a food product produced through the fermentation of coconut water by Acetobacter xylinum, resulting in the formation of a bacterial cellulose layer. The use of fermented coconut water as a fermentation medium and the addition of Moringa oleifera L. leaf extract, which is rich in antioxidant compounds, are expected to improve the physicochemical properties and functional value of nata de coco. This study aimed to determine the effects of coconut water type and Moringa oleifera L. leaf extract concentration on the physicochemical properties of nata de coco and to determine the best formulation. The experiment employed a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two factors: coconut water type (fresh and fermented) and Moringa oleifera L. leaf extract concentration (15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%), resulting in eight treatment combinations with three replications. The observed parameters included yield, thickness, moisture content, crude fiber content, antioxidant activity, color intensity, and organoleptic properties. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), followed by the Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test at a 5% significance level. The results showed that both factors significantly affected antioxidant activity and the L and b* color values. Based on the overall physicochemical and organoleptic evaluation, treatment P4 was identified as the best formulation, with a yield of 41.66%, thickness of 0.40 cm, moisture content of 95.31%, crude fiber content of 3.23%, color values of L 50.47, a* 0.80, and b* 8.07, as well as the highest organoleptic scores for color (3.58), taste (3.92), texture (3.21), and overall acceptability (3.75). These findings indicate that the combination of coconut water type and Moringa oleifera L. leaf extract has the potential to produce nata de coco with higher antioxidant activity, improved color characteristics, and desirable physicochemical properties, making it a promising value-added functional food.