MANUFACTURING OF MORINGA LEAF BISCUIT AND ITS BIOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT

Abstract

Moringa oleifera Lam, belonging to the Moringaceae family, possesses significant nutritional and medicinal benefits. The processing of drumstick or sojina leaves value added products and their preservations for a long time are very important aspect in food product industry. The aim of this study was to develop sojina biscuits to utilize its medicinal values as well as the food values of sojina leaf throughout the year. Fresh moringa leaves were collected from the locality of Dinajpur and then were washed, dried and ground. Five variations of moringa biscuits were created using distinct ingredient combinations. These biscuits underwent both biochemical analysis and organoleptic evaluations. Biscuit 3 (T3) exhibited the highest overall acceptability among the samples, along with superior nutritional content compared to the other treatments. There was a significant difference at probability (0.05) in different moringa biscuits. The protein, fat, ash, moisture content, acidity, vitamin C, β-carotene, calcium, magnesium and potassium contents of biscuit 3 were 9.07%, 16.93%, 2.11%, 0.46%, 0.24%, 21.74mg/100g, 56.74%, 1412.2 mg/100g, 856.3mg/100g and 250.00 mg/100g respectively. Research focusing on sensory evaluation revealed that biscuits were deemed acceptable when supplemented with Moringa up to 9% or 10%, respectively. The distinct leafy flavor and slight bitterness reduced consumer acceptance of a product enriched with leaf supplementation. Considering the aforementioned viewpoints, this current effort aims to provide a review on Moringa oleifera, with a specific focus on updating the process for producing moringa biscuits for the benefits of getting protein, fat, vitamins and some minerals to identify and describe the chemical and biochemical constituents present in moringa biscuits and to see the effect of supplementation with moringa leaf powder regarding the sensory characteristics of the biscuits and their acceptance by consumers.