ABSTRACT

The main aim of this study was to produce and access the nutrients, phytochemicals and sensory attributes of biscuits developed from sorghum and watermelon seed flour blends. The grains were separately processed and blended at various proportions. The blends were consuls of 100%sorgum, 70%sorghum:30%water melon seed flour, 90%sorghum:10%water melon seed flour,     60%sorghum:40%water melon seed flour. The biscuits were produced using standard methods; the products were subjected to chemical (proximate, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals) and sensory test using standard methods. The biscuit samples had proximate composition ranges of its components: moisture content has a range from 2.87-7.51%, protein content range was6.74-9.67%; while that of crude fat ranged from12.83-23.42%,crude fiber also had a range from 1.77-0.85%, the ash content of the biscuit samples ranged from 1.27-0.93%, carbohydrate was shown to have ranged from 60.83-71.61%. The mineral content of the biscuit samples analyzed were magnesium (63.52-86.27mg/100g),iron (2.95 – 5.53mg/100g), zinc (1.41 – 3.66mg/100g), phosphorous (75.34 – 128.67mg/100g), sodium (129.24-154.83mg/100g), calcium (108.36-124.38mg/100g), potassium (116.75-165.72mg/100g), manganese (0.24-0.41mg/100g) and copper (0.05-0.07mg/100g). Various vitamins were analyzed of the biscuit samples. The vitamins analyzed and its ranges include vitaminB1 (0.02-0.04mg/100g), vitaminB2 (0.01-0.03mg/100g), vitamin B3 was also analyzed with its range being 0.03-0.04mg/100g),vitamin (60.06-0.10mg/100g), range for vitaminB9 was 0.03-0.94mg/100g,vitaminB12 (0.06-0.08mg/100g), vitaminA (1.95-3.37mg/100g) while vitaminC had a range from 1.54-3.17mg/100g. the pytochemical composition of the biscuit samples ranges from 0.04-0.06mg/100g Tannin, 0.14-0.23mg/100g Alkaloid, 0.01-0.10mg/100g Oxalate, 0.03-0.06mg/100g Flavonoid, 0.03-0.06mg/100g Saponins. Sensory evaluation results showed that all the biscuit samples had high rating for all evaluated attributes. The 100% sorghum and 60% sorghum:40%watermelon seed supplementation compared favorably with control (commercial biscuit).biscuits from other substitution levels were generally acceptable as they were neither liked nor disliked by the panelists. The study concluded that biscuits produced from sorghum and watermelon seed flour blends could serve as good alternative to wheat based biscuit for patient of celiac disease and individuals too.