Innovative nuggets with pangasius fish and moringa leaf flour to enhance adolescent girls' health

Chronic energy deficiency (CED) in Indonesian adolescent girls is primarily caused by unbalanced diet, leading to energy and protein deficiencies. Understanding how CED affects the physical development and health of girls is crucial, as it may potentially impact their quality of life in the future. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and protein content of nuggets formulated with pangasius and moringa leaf flour. The true experimental design was the Testing Service Unit Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga from April to July 2024. Nuggets with three different formulations were tested organoleptically by 25 panelists, and the organoleptic data were analyzed using SPSS and statistically tested using Non-Parametric Testing. The results indicated that NG02 had the highest organoleptic scores for color, aroma, and taste, whereas NG01 had the highest protein content (15.36 %). Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in color, taste, aroma, and texture among the three formulations. In conclusion, despite NG02 being the most preferred protein, NG01's higher protein content suggests that it may better address CED in adolescent girls.


Introduction
Nutritional problems in Indonesia often affect vulnerable groups, but this study focuses on adolescent girls who are at a high risk of Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED).CED is a serious nutritional problem faced by adolescent girls in Indonesia, primarily due to inadequate nutritional intake, especially of energy and protein (Sari et al., 2022;Utari & Al Rahmad, 2022).Improving a balanced diet from adolescence is crucial for preventing CED in adolescent girls, which can subsequently affect their health as they transition into adulthood and pregnancy (Harna et al., 2024;Mahjuri et al., 2021;Mutalazimah, 2020;Permana et al., 2020;Rahmad, 2019Rahmad, , 2023)).To prevent CED in pregnant women, a balanced consumption pattern must be improved from adolescence onwards (Fauziyah, 2020;Lipoeto et al., 2020;Utami & Ani, 2023;Wati et al., 2024;Yulia et al., 2024).
A survey of women aged 15-49 years was known that 54.01%became pregnant for the first time at the age of > 20 years (ideal age of pregnancy).The remaining 23.79% were pregnant for the first time at the age of 19-20 years, 15.99% were pregnant for the first time at the age of 17-18 years, and 6.21% were pregnant for the first time at the age of 16 years and younger (Kementerian Kesehatan RI, 2018).This shows that half of women who have been pregnant in Indonesia experience their first pregnancy at a young age or adolescence (Hermawan et al. 2023;Hu et al. 2020).Adolescent girls who do not improve their nutritional status are at risk of becoming stunted mothers (Mutiarasari et al. 2021).One way to overcome CED is to increase the protein intake (Flora, 2022), which is important for the maintenance and repair of body tissues (Angraini et al., 2023;Davies-Kershaw et al., 2024;Fitriani et al., 2020).
Transforming the health of adolescent girls is important in efforts to improve their nutritional status and future health (Choedon et al., 2024;Wrottesley et al., 2023), which is a crucial phase that affects their quality of life later in life (Heslin & McNulty, 2023;Nugroho et al., 2023).This study added pangasius fish flour and moringa leaves to increase protein content and help overcome CED in adolescent girls.Nugget products are among the foods in high demand, especially for children and adolescents (Keller et al., 2022).Moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera) are high-quality foods rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals (Putra et al., 2021).These leaves also contain antioxidants, which are beneficial to human health (Gong 2021;Ntshambiwa et al. 2023;Peñalver et al. 2022;Perveen et al. 2023).Moringa leaves can be processed into flour to extend their shelf life and facilitate their storage (Adam, 2020).
Nuggets can be developed by adding Moringa leaf flour and pangasius fish flour (Eliza, 2023).Pangasius has high protein content, which is beneficial for body growth (Abdullah et al., 2020).Pangasius is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial for brain development (Yaqin, 2021).
It is hoped that innovations in the development of this nugget will help overcome nutritional problems in Indonesia, especially CED, among adolescent girls.Thus, the consumption of nuggets enriched with moringa leaves and pangasius can be a solution to health transformation and improve the nutritional status of adolescent girls who are at risk of developing CED.This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and protein content of nuggets formulated with pangasius fish and moringa leaf flours to address CED in adolescent girls.

Methods
This study employed a true experimental research design with a randomized control group and was conducted from April to July 2024 at the Service Unit Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga.In this study, three nugget formulations containing pangasius fish flour and moringa leaf flour with variations in pangasius fish flour content of 5%, 10 %, and 25% and moringa leaf flour content of 10%, 10%, and 15% of the total requirement were tested.The independent variable was the nugget formulation, whereas the dependent variables included the results of the organoleptic tests and the protein content of each nugget formulation.
The data collection involved two stages.The first stage was the organoleptic test, which included 25 panelists selected based on inclusion criteria, such as being aged 18-45 years and having no allergies to the tested ingredients.The panelists were assessed for color, taste, texture, and aroma of the nuggets using a validated rating scale.The nuggets were presented in a random order to avoid bias, and the evaluation was conducted in a controlled environment to maintain consistency.In the second stage, the protein content of the nuggets was analyzed using the Kjeldahl method in the laboratory, and each sample was tested in triplicate to ensure accuracy.
Data from the organoleptic tests were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test to determine differences between nugget formulations, followed by the Mann-Whitney test for further analysis if significant differences were found.Protein content data were analyzed descriptively to determine the differences in protein content among the nugget formulations.

Result and Discussion
In this study, nugget products were developed with the addition of pangasius and moringa leaf flour.These nuggets are made from chicken and processed with the addition of pangasius fish and moringa leaf flours.Additional ingredients included wheat flour, eggs, finely ground garlic, pepper, white bread, and salt.The difference in composition lies in the use of chicken, pangasius fish flour, and moringa leaf flour with three different formulations.1 shows the formulation of the three nugget variations, namely, NG01, NG02, and NG03.The addition of pangasius fish flour and moringa leaf flour aims to determine the nutritional content of the nuggets, especially the protein content, as well as to determine the organoleptic characteristics of each formulation.The analysis of this nugget formulation revealed that variations in the use of chicken, pangasius fish, and moringa leaf flours resulted in significant variations in nutritional value and product characteristics.Pangasius fish flour, which is rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, was integrated into the formulation to increase the content of essential nutrients in the nuggets.The use of moringa leaf flour as an additive provides additional benefits in the form of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can increase the nutritional value of the product.
Therefore, the development of nugget formulations that consider the balance between nutritional content and sensory characteristics is key for creating products that are healthy and loved by consumers.Based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for the protein needs of adolescent girls, which is 65 g/day (Kementerian Kesehatan, 2019), these nuggets can act as a snack with a daily protein contribution.Because these nuggets are intended to be snacks, protein consumption from these snacks should be 10% of the daily requirement, which is approximately 6.5grams of protein.Therefore, consuming two pieces of nuggets daily is sufficient to meet the protein requirements of a daily snack.
Table 2 shows the sensory characteristics of the three nugget variations, namely, NG01, NG02, and NG03.Regarding the sensory characteristics of the table above, there were significant differences among the three nugget variations NG01, NG02, and NG03.color Cis the most important quality attribute; although food products are highly nutritious and delicious, a less attractive appearance makes them less attractive to consumers (Suranadi et al., 2023).The formulation shows that NG01 and NG02 have a light green color, whereas NG03 tends to be darker.The addition of moringa leaf flour affected the color change in each formulation; the more moringa leaf flour was added, the more intense the color, and the higher the average value.This is due to the high chlorophyll content in moringa leaves.Chlorophyll is a substance that gives leaves a natural green color.Therefore, the addition of Hindaryani & Hafid moringa leaf flour can affect the color of the nuggets produced (Balqis, 2019).In terms of taste, NG01 and NG02 have the same profile, namely, not bitter and savory, whereas NG03 shows a slightly spicy taste but is still savory.The difference in sensation that occurs between the two people can be caused by a difference in the sensation received, due to the difference in the sensitivity level of the sensory organs, or due to a lack of knowledge of certain tastes.The addition of moringa leaf flour and pangasius fish flour can affect the taste of nuggets if the higher the amount of moringa leaf flour added, the more moringa leaves taste and the smaller the average taste value.Moringa has a specific taste that is very similar to its weak aroma (Balqis, 2019).The taste of sepat is caused by the presence of tannins in moringa leaf flour.When tannins enter the mouth, there is a clump of protein in the oral mucosa, resulting in a taste that is not liked by the panelists (Balqis, 2019).
These three nugget variations had a consistent nugget aroma.The aroma plays an important role in determining the degree of assessment and quality of food ingredients (Noviyanti et al., 2016).Fresh moringa leaves, when blanched for 5 min, can activate enzymes that cause Langu odor.However, in reality, the blanching process cannot remove the entire langu aroma but can reduce it; thus, the use of a large amount of moringa leaves still produces a distinctive aroma of moringa leaves.The more moringa leaves were added, the smaller the aroma value of the chicken nuggets produced.Therefore, the addition of moringa leaf flour in large quantities can affect the aroma of nuggets.The texture was maintained in crispy and dense form.This analysis shows that variations in the composition of materials can affect not only the sensory properties but also consumer acceptance of the product.
Based on the results of the organoleptic test in Table 3, it can be seen that the nugget formulation with code NG02 received the highest rating from the panelists, with an average score of 3.72, which means it is in the category of color indicators.NG02 also had the highest score for the aroma indicator with an average of 3.76.Specifically, in terms of taste, NG02 recorded the highest score among the three formulations, with a score of 4, which shows that the panelists really liked the taste of the nuggets.However, for texture indicators, NG03 dominates, with an average score of 3.76, which is also in the similar category.This analysis revealed that variations in formulation can significantly influence consumers' preferences for nugget products.
The results of the Kruskal-Wallis test in the table show that for the four indicators, namely texture, color, aroma, and taste, all p> values were 0.05.This indicates that there is no significant difference between the three nugget formulations with pangasius fish flour and moringa leaf flour based on organoleptic tests.Specifically, the p-values for the texture were 0.368, 0.277, 0.577, and 0.223, respectively.Therefore, it can be concluded that variation in the nugget formulation did not result in a significant difference in the panelists' assessments of the four sensory indicators.
The results of the protein content test in nuggets formulated with pangasius fish flour and moringa leaf flour showed that the NG01 formulation, with a ratio of chicken, pangasius fish flour, and moringa leaf flour 500:5:10, had the highest protein content, which was 15.36%.The NG03 formulation with a ratio of 490:10:15 has the lowest protein content (14.39%.) According to the Indonesian National Standard for chicken nuggets, the minimum protein content is 12% and the combination of chicken nuggets is at least 9% (Sinaga, 2019).Based on the results of the protein content of the three nugget formulations, the results of the analysis met the requirements of the SNI Chicken Nugget standard: from the three formulations in 50 g of nuggets for chicken nuggets, the combination exceeded 9%, namely 15.36% for formulation 1, 15.09% for formulation 2, and 14.39% for formulation 3.
This experimental research encountered several limitations in terms of planning, methods, and results.In terms of planning, some variables may not have been fully accounted for, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings.Methodologically, the procedures for analysis and sampling might not have been optimal, which could have impacted the accuracy and validity of the results.Additionally, while the study revealed variations in nutritional values and sensory characteristics of nuggets, the analysis may not provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between composition and product quality.Therefore, these limitations highlight the need for improvements in planning, methods, and result interpretation for future research.

Conclusion
The nuggets with the formulation of catfish flour and moringa leaf flour, particularly NG02, received the highest organoleptic ratings in terms of color, aroma, and taste, whereas NG01 had the highest protein content.There was no significant difference in sensory assessment between the three formulations.
Further research is needed to evaluate the protein content with the formulation of catfish flour and moringa leaf flour and compare it with chicken-and catfish-based nuggets to obtain more comprehensive results.Nugget formulations incorporating catfish meal and moringa leaf meal offer valuable opportunities to improve nutrient intake, especially by increasing protein levels and adding essential nutrients.

Table 1 .
Formulation of pangasius fish flour nugget and moringa leaf flour

Table 2 .
Characteristics of pangasius flour nugget formulation and moringa leaf flour

Table 3 .
Average assessment of organoleptic test formulation of pangasius fish flour and moringa leaf flour