Biochemical, Sensorial and Antimicrobial Assessment of Cookies Supplemented with Dried Fenugreek Leaves
Abstract
Green Leafy Vegetables are important sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds, with fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum L.) that is known for its nutritional and therapeutic properties. This study aimed to assess the nutritional, physicochemical, microbiological and sensorial properties of fenugreek dried leaves and their use in cookies made from wheat flour. The fresh leaves of fenugreek were dried and used for proximate composition, mineral content and antioxidant activity analysis. This dried leaf powder was then used in the formulation of cookies in various amounts and contrasted with a control formulation. The results showed that dried fenugreek leaves had favorable nutritional and mineral composition and high antioxidant activity. The nutritional composition of fenugreek leaf powder (FLP) cookies was improved by the incorporation in the nutritive content which includes protein (9.57-10.50%), fiber (0.31-0.56%), ash (0.41-1.30%) and nitrogen-free extract (74.15-74.66%). The level of fat content slightly decreased (1.13-1.09%). There was also low moisture content (12.51-13.50%) which means that moisture has good storage stability. Further, the pH and titratable acidity were found to be decreased with the increased supplementation of fenugreek. It was observed that the cookies enriched with fenugreek showed good microbial stability which indicates the antimicrobial activity of leaf powder. Sensory evaluation revealed that cookies containing 5% and 8% fenugreek powder achieved higher acceptability scores for color, flavor, aroma, and overall quality compared with higher incorporation levels. The study concludes that fenugreek leaf powder can be successfully utilized as a functional ingredient to enhance the nutritional value, antioxidant potential, microbial stability, and consumer acceptability of bakery products. Keywords: Fenugreek, green leafy vegetables, functional foods, cookie fortification, antioxidant activity, sensory evaluation, microbial stability.