Exploring Consumer Awareness of Curculigo Latifolia as a Sugar Substitute
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36877/mjae.a0000426Abstract
Lemba or Pinang Puyuh, locally known as Curculigo Latifolia, is a prevalent plant species in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo Island. Belonging to the flowering plant genus Hypoxidaceae, this plant harbours a sweet protein called Curculin extracted from its fruit. Remarkably, Curculin is 500 times sweeter than sucrose, making C. latifolia a viable low-calorie sweetener for individuals with diabetes or obesity. Despite its potential, many remain unaware of this sweet herb. This paper explores consumer awareness regarding C. latifolia as a sugar substitute. Primary data was gathered through a self-administered survey by employing structured questionnaires. In the Klang Valley, Malaysia, 350 respondents were randomly selected. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive, chi-square, and factor analyses. Surprisingly, 80.9% of respondents had never encountered C. latifolia as a sugar substitute. Chi-square analysis disclosed associations between socio-demographic factors, such as gender, and awareness of C. latifolia. Further investigation via factor analysis identified four influencing factors determining consumer awareness: promotion, health concern, product, and price. Given the potential of natural sugar substitutes like C. latifolia in reducing the risk of diseases like diabetes, effective advertising and promotion are crucial. Increasing consumer awareness and knowledge about this herb will be essential for its future acceptance as a sugar substitute.
References
Ahmad, F. B., Holdsworth, D. K. (1994). Medicinal plants of Sabah, Malaysia, Part II: The Muruts.
International Journal of Pharmacognosy, 32(4): 378-383.
Alberta Health Service (2015). Nutrition guideline healthy infants and young children: Sugar substitutes. Retrieved from: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-ng-healthy-infants-food-feeding-safety-sugar-substitutes.pdf
Árváné, V.G., Csapó, Z., Kárpáti, L. (2011). Evaluation of consumers' honey purchase habits in Hungary.
Journal of Food Products Marketing, 17(2/3): 227–240.
Babaei, N., Abdullah, N. A. P., Saleh, G., et al. (2012). Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers and analysis of genetic variability in C. latifolia Dryand. Molecular Biology Reports, 39(11): 9869–9877.
Canada Health. (2008). The Safety of Sugar Substitutes. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/food-nutrition/safety-sugar-substitutes.html
Cargill. (2018). Report on Sweeteners in the Spotlight: Which sugar substitutes resonate with consumers?
Retrieved from https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432118815835/sugar-substitutes-resonate.pdf
Dhingra, R., Sullivan, L., Jacques, P. F., et al. (2007). Soft drink consumption and risk of developing cardiometabolic risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in middle aged adults in the community. Circulation, 116(5): 480–8.
Farzinebrahimi, R., Taha, R. M., Rashid, K. A. (2013). Effect of light intensity and soil media on establishment and growth of Curculigo latifolia Dryand. Journal of Applied Horticulture, 15(3): 224–226.
Food Processing Ingredients Annual (2017) Retrieved from: https://agriexchange.apeda.gov.in/marketreport/Reports/Food_Processing_Ingredients_Kuala_Lumpur
_Malaysia_11-2-2017.pdf
Gao, J., Brennan, M. A., Mason, S. L., et al. (2017). Effects of sugar substitution with (stevianna) on the sensory characteristics of muffins. Journal of Food Quality, 2017: 1–11.
Gowdar, I. M., Aljuaid, B. K., Almasaad, A. I., et al. (2021). Awareness and knowledge about sugar substitutes among population in Riyadh Region. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 13(S1): 263–267.
Grenby, T. H. (1991). Prospects for sugar substitutes. Chemistry in Britain, 27, 342–345.
Gyau, A., Akalakou, C., Degrande, A., et al. (2014). Determinants of consumer preferences for honey in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 20(5), 476–490.
Hasim, M. A., Jabar, J., Ahmad Murad, M., et al. (2020). An exploratory factor analysis on adoption factors of P3 sweetener, Test Engeneering & Management, 82: 9647–9654.
Ismail M. F., Psyquay Abdulla N., Saleh G. B., et al. (2010). Anthesis and flower visitors in Curculigo latifolia
dryand. Journal of Biology and Life Science, 1: 13–15.
Ishak, N. A., Ismail, M., Hamid, M., et al. (2013). Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic activities of C. latifolia fruit: Root extract in high fat fed diet and low dose STZ induced diabetic rats. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013: 1–12.
Kamarulzaman, N. H., Jamal, K., Vijayan, G., et al. (2014). Will consumers purchase stevia as a sugar substitute?: An exploratory study on consumer acceptance. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 20(November), 122–139.
Kant, R. (2005). Sweet proteins-potential replacementfor artificial low-calorie sweeteners. Nutrition Journal, 4(5), 1–7.
Khakhia, T. I. (n.d.). Sugar substitute. Retrieved from: https://tarek.kakhia.org/books_eng/Sugar_Substitutes.Tarek_Kakhia.pdf
Kocyan, A. (2007). The discovery of polyandry in Curculigo (Hypoxidaceae): Implications for androecium evolution of asparagoid monocotyledons. Annals of Botany, 100(2): 241–248.
Kroger M., Meister K., Kava R. (2006). Low-calorie sweeteners and other sugar substitutes: A review of the safety issues. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 5: 35-47.
Kyaw, T. M., Ismail, Z., Selamat, M. I. et al. (2022). Obesity and its associated factors among older adults: MyHEBAT (Malaysian HEalth and Well-Being AssessmenT) study. Health Science Reports, DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.668
Liu, Z., Li, S., Peng, J. (2022). Exploring the relationship between sugar and sugar substitutes: Analysis ofi income level and beverage consumption market pattern based on the perspective of healthy China. Nutrients, 14(21): 4474.
Ludwig, D. S., Peterson, K. E., Gortmaker, S. L. (2001). Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: A prospective, observational analysis. Lancet, 357, 505–508.
Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (2003). Meal pattern of adults aged 18 to 59 years. Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Retrieved from: https://iku.gov.my/images/IKU/Document/REPORT/MANS2003/Volume4-MealPattern.pdf
Malviya, N., Jain, S., Malviya, S. (2010). Antidiabetic potential of medicinal plants. Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, 67(2): 113–118.
Masuda T, Kitabatake N. (2006). Developments in biotechnological production of sweet proteins. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 102: 375–389
Mintel. (2016). Report on Sugar and Sweeteners–U.S. Retrieved from https://reports.mintel.com/display/748135/#
Mu’izzuddin, A., Norazirah, M. N., Hanim, A., et al. (2020). Acceptance of stevia as a sugar substitute and its determinants among health educated individuals and its determinants. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science, 8(1). doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CRNFSJ.8.1.21
National Health and Morbidity Survey. (2019). Adolescent Health and Nutrition Survey, Institutes of Public Health, National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Pambo, K. O. (2013). Analysis of Consumer Awareness and Preferences for Fortified Sugar in Kenya. Nairobi: University of Nairobi, Master Thesis.
Raden, I., Nugroho, C. C., Syahrani (2017). Identification and characterization of morphological diversity of Lemba (C. latifolia ) in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas, 18(4): 1367–1376.
Rennie, K. L., Livingstone, M. B. (2007). Associations between dietary added sugar intake and micronutrient intake: A systematic review. British Journal of Nutrition, 97: 832–841.
Simplyfying Sweetness. (2015). Report on Identifying the Factors that Influence Consumer Attitudes Toward Sweeteners and Testing their Impact on Your Brand. Retrieved from http://www.cornnaturally.com/CornNaturally/media/Interior/Gated%20PDF/mintel-brand-simplifying-sweetness-white-paper.pdf?ext=.pdf
Singh, P., Ban, Y. G., Kashyap, L., et al. (2020). Sugar and Sugar Substitutes: Recent Developments and Future Prospects. In: Mohan, N., Singh, P. (eds) Sugar and Sugar Derivatives: Changing Consumer Preferences. Springer, Singapore.
Tandel, K. R. (2011). Sugar substitutes: Health controversy over perceived benefits. Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, 2(4): 236–243.
Wiart, C. (2000). Medicinal Plants of Southeast Asia. Kuala Lumpur: Pelanduk Publishing Sdn. Bhd.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2015) Guideline: Sugars Intake for Adults and Children; WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2015.
Yamada, M., Murakami, K., Sasaki, S., et al. (2008). Soft drink intake is associated with diet quality even among young Japanese women with low soft drink intake. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 108(12): 1997–2004.
Yamashita, H., Theerasilps, S., Aiuchis, T., et al. (1990). Purification and complete amino acid sequence of a new type of sweet protein with taste-modifying activity, Curculin. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 265(26): 15770–15775.
.png){kind=logo}
.jpg)
