CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Most people are fun eating muffins especially children. They seldom to vegetables because they
dont like the taste. They dont realize the benefits that there vegetables can give to them like the bitter
gourd. Instead they prefer to eat preserved and ready to eat foods.
The bitter gourd fruit is not hard to find and almost all the parts are useful most especially the
fruits and leaves which are rich in nutrients such as phytonutrients, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber and
anti-oxidant.
The result of this study benefits people especially children, who are not eating bitter gourd, by
giving them a chance to enjoy and discover the richness of bitter gourd by making a muffins. And help
children to disregard eating junk foods which has not good effect in to their health thus prefer to eat
nutritious and healthy food like the bitter gourd.

1.2 Statement of the problem

This study aimed the feasibility of bitter gourd as muffins. Specifically, it sought answer the
questions:
What is the level of acceptability of muffins out of bitter gourd in terms of:
a.) Taste,
b.) Texture, and
c.) Odor.
1.3 Statement of the hypothesis
Null Hypothesis
Is it not acceptable to make a muffin out of bitter gourd fruit in terms of:
a.) Taste,
b.) Texture, and
c.) Odor.
Alternative Hypothesis
Is it acceptable to make a muffin out of bitter gourd fruit in terms of:
a.) Taste,
b.) Texture, and
c.) Odor.
1.4 Significance of the study
This study aimed to produce muffins out of bitter gourd. Bitter gourd contains nutritional values
which are good for children especially to their health. It is hope that through this study, people and
children can enjoy the benefits from the bitter gourd at the same time enjoy the yummy taste of nutritious
muffins out of this vegetables.

1.5Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This study is limited only on the production of muffin out of bitter gourd. This study
wasconducted at the researchers residence at Quinarayan, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. Respondents were
selected at the researchers residence. This study does not cover the other parts of the plant like the leaves,
pods, and the seeds.
1.5 Definition of Terms and Variables
Bitter gourd- used in making muffins in the study.
Muffin- its the output or the product of the study.

Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELTAED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES
2.1 Review of Related Literature
The term muffin typically refers to an individual sized quick bread product which
can be sweet or savory. The typical American muffin is similar to a cupcake in size and
cooking methods. These can come in both savory varieties, such as corn or cheese muffins,
and sweet varieties such as blueberry or banana. Muffin also refers to a flatter disk-shaped
bread of English origin, commonly referred to as an English muffin outside the United
Kingdom. These muffins are also popular in Commonwealth countries and the United States.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muffin)
Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter squash or balsam-pear
in English, has many other local names. Goya from the indigenous language of Okinawa and
karela from Sanskrit are also used by English-language speakers.
It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia,
Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is extremely bitter. Its many varieties
differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.
Bitter melon originated on the Indian subcontinent, and was introduced into China in the
14th century.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia)
The bitter melon (also known as bitter gourd) looks like a cucumber but with ugly gourdlike bumps all over it.

As the name implies, this vegetable is a melon that is bitter. There are two varieties of
this vegetable: One grows to about 20 cm long, is oblong and pale green in color. The other
is the smaller variety, less than 10 cm long, oval and has a darker green color.
Both varieties have seeds that are white when unripe and that turn red when they are ripe.
The vegetable-fruit turn reddish-orange when ripe and becomes even bitterer.
Bitter gourd thrives in hot and humid climates, so are commonly found in Asian countries
and South America.
Westerners may not be so used to bitter melons, so may find them more difficult to
consume. But if you can generally take bitter taste, you may be able to take this too. Try it, at
least for all its healthful virtues!
(http://juicing-for-health.com/basic-nutrition/healing-vegetables/health-benefits-of-bittergourd.html)
Bitter gourd is a popular vegetable in some Asian countries, where the health benefits of
the plant are well-knownparticularly, its ability to lower blood glucose in diabetics. Bitter
gourd has been used to treat diabetes in traditional medicine and is now commercially
available as tea (from fruits or leaves), juice, extracts, and pills. Although these products
promise health benefits, most of the manufacturers do not offer scientifically proven data on
the effectiveness of bitter gourd or their products. However, in recent years researchers
worldwide have started to focus on the antidiabetic effects of bitter gourd. The goal is to
provide safe and clear preparation and dosage recommendations so that consumers will
realize the greatest benefit from consuming fresh bitter gourd or bitter gourd products.
(http://www.bitter-gourd.org/health-benefits/)

2.2 Related Studies

At once a popular nutritious vegetable and a medicinal herb, the Ampalaya is both
traditionally accepted and scientifically cited to help lower elevated blood sugar levels. Over
the past four decades, pre-clinical and limited clinical studies worldwide tend to confirm this
benefit. Researchers have identified key compounds, such as charantin, vicine, peptides and
polypeptide-p, a plant insulin, which are thought to be behind the herbs blood sugarlowering properties.
(http://www.herbcare.com.ph/Clinical%20Studies%20A.htm)
Known as bittermelon or bittergourd in English, with a scientific name of Momordica
charantia, ampalaya is the most popular bitter vegetable in the Philippines. In fact, when
learning the different taste palettes, in as much as sugar had been used as the standard
example for sweet in the academe, ampalaya is the standard example for what is bitter.
In spite of its apparent bitterness, this vegetable has a unique pleasantness especially
among adults and older people. Its like beer which is also bitter yet adults long for its once
they get used to it. But more than just its distinct tang which makes it preferable, ampalaya is
especially known for its nutritious and healing powers. Apart from the commonly held belief
that ampalaya helps in cleansing the blood and detoxification of the body, the vegetable is
especially known for sugar lowering affect, which is particularly helpful for diabetics. The
vegetable or fruit helps stimulate the activity of the pancreatic beta-cells in the production of
insulin, the hormone needed for controlling sugar. Moreover, some studies further content
that ampalaya also increase the uptake of glucose by the cells. This is especially helpful for
patients who are insulin resistant. The principal ingredient that contributes to the sugar-

lowering effect of ampalaya is the momordicin, which is similarly responsible for the plants
bitterness.
(http://www.allaboutdiabetes.net/ampalaya-as-antidiabetic-agent/)

Chapter III
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Flowchart
Collection and Preparation of bitter gourd fruit.

Preparation of other materials and ingredients.

Mixing all the ingredients that needed,

Putting the mixture in molder.

Cooking the mixture in the oven.

Evaluation process and Data Gathering.

3.2 Materials and Equipment

The following materials were utilized in the study: 1/8 cup Bitter gourd Fruit, 1
tablespoon butter, 2 tbsp. Sugar, 1 tbsp. Baking powder, 3 tablespoonful of flour, 1 egg,
cupcake molders, microwave oven, knife, tablespoon, big bowls and cutting board.
3.3 General Procedure
The researcher collected bitter gourd fruit and preparation of all materials. All dry
ingredients were mixed in wet ingredients. The mixture was put in the molder and cooked for 5
minutes in the oven.
8