Nutritional, Antinutritional, Sensory and Antioxidant Properties of Cookies from Wheat, Maize, Partially Defatted Peanut and Beetroot Composite Flour

Abstract

Cookies are widely consumed baked products; however, conventional wheat-based cookies are becoming a concern for gluten intolerant people, also wheat is mainly imported in several countries of the world. Therefore, the use of maize incorporated with partially defatted peanut and beetroot presents a better option in terms of the nutritional and functional benefits. This study evaluated the quality of cookies made from wheat, maize, defatted peanut, beetroot flour blends ratios. Six samples were formulated with the designations A (100% wheat), B (100% maize), C (0:80:10:10), D (0:70:20:10), E (0:60:30:10) and F (0:50:40:10). The chemical, antioxidant, and sensory properties of the cookies were evaluated using standard procedures. The energy value decreased with defatted peanut increased, moisture (3.56 – 4.97%), carbohydrate (32.04 – 57.08%) and energy (484.91 – 428.96 Kcal) decreased with increase in defatted peanut while ash (0.82 – 1.83%), fibre (2.65 -21.19%), fat (22.47 – 29.13%) and protein (9.32 – 14.88%) increased with increase in defatted peanut. Mineral (mg/g) analyses of cookies showed significant increase (p<0.05) with defatted peanut and beetroot inclusion while in cookies, Iron (0.6 – 1.0 mg/g), potassium (8.73 – 11.51 mg/g) while zinc (0.3 – 0.2 mg/g), magnesium (0.050 – 0.086 mg/g), calcium (3.13 – 2.83 mg/g) did not significantly differ and sodium (7.63 – 4.9 mg/g) decreased with inclusion. The antinutrient content (mg/g) of cookies showed a consistent pattern with defatted peanut and beetroot inclusions. The results for vitamins showed cookies vitamin content to increase across the parameters, vitamin A (0 – 44.79), vitamin B1 (1.19 – 1.28), vitamin B3 (2.29 – 59.68) except vitamin C (0.22 – 2.77) IU. The antioxidant properties of the cookies showed; DPPH (17.85 – 34.24) %, SOD (14.28 – 22.45) % and FRAP (225.53 – 647.16) MgGAE/Mol. The cookies from Maize, defatted peanut and beetroot presents a great advantage over wheat flour cookies, temperatures and exposure to atmosphere affected the vitamin and antioxidant capacities while the proximate and mineral results present nutritional advantage over the composite flour cookies. Cookies from maize, defatted peanut and beetroot is recommended for children and adults, to achieve maximum antioxidants effects, processing temperature and environment should be monitored to avoid effect of heat and atmospheric reactions.