Development and Characterization of a Dayak Onion-Based Enteral Formula Prototype

Abstract

Dayak onion, traditionally recognized for its ethnomedicinal properties, contains bioactive flavonoids with potential applications in functional nutrition, yet its incorporation into enteral formulas has not been systematically explored; therefore, this study aimed to develop and characterize a milk-based enteral formula prototype containing Dayak onion bulb extract powder through a laboratory-based product-development design that assessed proximate composition, calculated energy, apparent viscosity, flavonoid-related characteristics, and preliminary sensory acceptability, with results showing nutritional values of 383.83 kcal, 72.31 g carbohydrate, 6.57 g protein, 2.60 g fat, 9.61% moisture, and 2.07% ash, corresponding to an energy density of 1.47 kcal/mL, while viscosity analysis indicated 8 mPa·s under standardized conditions, qualitative flavonoid screening was positive, and TLC-densitometric quantification yielded 4.4403 mg quercetin equivalents/g with Rf values of 0.75–0.76 comparable to the quercetin reference, and sensory evaluation by 21 semi-trained panelists demonstrated high acceptability for color (94.3%), aroma (90.5%), taste (94.3%), and texture (86.7%), thereby providing an initial multidomain characterization of the prototype and establishing a formulation-level basis for further optimization, although clinical nutritional adequacy, antioxidant or anticancer efficacy, and suitability for tube feeding remain unverified, necessitating future analytical validation, stability testing, safety assessment, and controlled clinical nutrition studies before patient application can be considered.