Utilization of Wheat-Pumpkin Seed Composite Flour for Biscuit

Background and Objective: Pumpkins provide substantial amounts of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which effectively makes them an excellent source of antioxidants. Pumpkin also offers healthy amounts of fiber, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin C and iron. In addition, pumpkin is a good, low-fat source of vitamin E. Then as a consequence, a successful combination of pumpkin flour with wheat flour for biscuits production would be nutritionally advantageous. This study was conducted to know whether the Pumpkin flour can be used for the production of high quality biscuits with improved nutritional values. Materials and Methods: Supplementations of full fat pumpkin flours to wheat flours at 5, 10 and 15% levels were carried out to test the effects on organoleptic and nutritional parameters of the supplemented biscuits. Addition of 15% full fat pumpkin flour to wheat flour produced acceptable biscuits. However, substitution of full fat pumpkin flours to wheat flour at 5 and 10% levels did not produce organoleptically acceptable biscuits compared to control and 15% full fat pumpkin flour biscuits. Various nutritional parameters such as moisture, ash, protein, fiber, oil extract and carbohydrate, mineral profile, ash and protein for biscuit samples and amino acids content were determined. Results: The results of chemical composition of both samples wheat and pumpkin flour revealed that the pumpkin flour was significantly (p<0.05) higher in all proximate composition parameters tested and minerals profile (Calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and sodium) . The increasing of the level of substitution from 5-10% of full fat pumpkin seeds flour to wheat flour significantly (p<0.05) increased protein (from 9.42-10.52, 10.95-11.22%) respectively, ash (from 0.514-0.641, 0.770-0.971%) respectively for 5, 10 and 15% pumpkin flour levels in biscuit flour. Amino acids result for both samples showed that pumpkin flour protein had better amino acids profile compared to wheat flour mainly for those amino acids considered as most limiting amino acids in cereal protein such as lysine, tryptophan ,and threonine. Wheat Flour was significantly (p≤0.05) higher in moisture and carbohydrate content while the pumpkin flour was significantly (p≤0.05) higher in fat, protein, ash and crude fiber. Conclusion: It is concluded that bsiscuits supplemented with full fat pumpkin flour, up to a 15% level, are organoleptically and nutritionally acceptable.