Effect of the Addition of Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Lemon Extract on the Physical, Chemical Properties, and Preference Level of White Turmeric ( <i>Curcuma mangga</i> Val.) Juice

Health drinks are one of the products widely known to the public and commonly found on the market in various brands and forms, such as liquid, instant powder, or tablets. One potential ingredient to be developed into a health drink is white turmeric ( Curcuma mangga Val.). The addition of lemon juice can increase vitamin C and citric acid content, which provides a refreshing effect, enhances the characteristic sour flavor, maintains color stability, and helps extend the product’s shelf life. The importance of this research is to create a functional beverage containing vitamin C that can be consumed by all communities. This study aims to determine the effect of the addition of CMC and lemon extract on the physical, chemical properties and preference level of white turmeric juice. The research was carried out with the preparation of the rhizome, including sorting, peeling, washing, grating, and pressing. The white turmeric extract was then mixed with CMC and lemon extract and cooked for 5 minutes. The study used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 2 replications. The first factor was carboxymethyl cellulose of 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 g, and the second factor was lemon extract with concentrations of 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 ml of the 1000 ml white turmeric juice. The analysis including physical properties, and chemical properties (including antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and pH) and preference level. The data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA (Analysis of Variance), and if significant differences were found, further analysis was conducted using DMRT (Duncan Multiple Range Test) with SPSS 25.0. The best formulation was obtained from the addition of 7.5 ml lemon extract and 0.75 g CMC, which produced the highest panelist acceptance with a score of 3.72 as selected sample for further chemical analysis. The white turmeric drink from this formulation had an antioxidant activity of 17.52% RSA, a pH of 3.37, and a total phenol content of 0.35 mg GAE/g.