Assessment of the Potential of Watermelon Rind Powder for the Value Addition of Noodles

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of watermelon rind as a source of nutrients for the value addition of noodles. Three different varieties of watermelon with yellow, dark green, and pale green rind were separately dried to produce rind powder and studied for their proximate composition, phenol content, and antioxidant activity. The effect of the substitution of wheat flour with different levels of watermelon rind powder (WRP) (10–20%) on the cooking and sensory attributes of noodles was investigated. The results showed that the rind powder of the pale green rind watermelon (PGRW) contained the maximum amount of protein (19.74%), whereas the highest amount of fiber (13.35%) was present in that of the dark green rind watermelon (DGRW). In contrast, the rind powder of the yellow rind watermelon (YRW) had a higher amount of fat (13.00%) than DGRW (8.37%) and PGRW (5.83%). However, the total phenol content in terms of gallic acid equivalent (GAE) was the maximum in PGRW (166.88 GAE/g), which resulted in greater antioxidant activity (13.28%). Furthermore, the incorporation of WRP affected the cooking yield of the noodles. Both the cooking yield and cooking loss were at maximum with the incorporation of 15% rind powder. Sensory evaluation indicated that the control sample was the most acceptable, followed by the noodles with 10% WRP, among the value-added noodles. Considering the nutritional potential, 10% WRP can be incorporated with wheat flour for the large-scale production of noodles.