Nutritional evaluation and utilisation of composite whole flours for making functional cookies rich in β-glucan and isoflavones

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the bioactive ingredients of whole flours of oat, maize and soyabean, utilise them for developing functional cookies and evaluate their physical and nutritional quality parameters.Design/methodology/approachCookies were prepared from blends of whole flours of wheat, oats, maize and full fat soyabean. Whole wheat and oat flours were blend in different proportions (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60 and 20:80 and 0:100, wheat:oat, w/w) and supplemented with quality protein maize (QPM) and full fat soyabean flours, at 10 per cent (w/w) each, of the total blend. Cookies were studied for their physical attributes, proximate and nutritional compositions. A significant (p=0.05) increase in spread ratio, crude protein, crude fat and crude fibre contents of the cookies was observed with increase in the proportion of oat flour in the blend.FindingsCookies prepared from blend containing QPM and soyabean flours had higher antioxidant activity than control whole wheat cookies. An increase in extractable β-glucan content and in-vitro protein digestibility was also observed with the increase in the proportion of oat flour. The highest overall acceptability was observed for cookies prepared from blends having a wheat–oat proportion of 60:40. These cookies also had a 17.5 per cent higher genistein content as compared to their raw flour blend. Higher genistein levels were observed in the composite cookies.Originality/valueThe cookies prepared from composite whole flours rich in isoflavones and β-glucan reflect their potential as a new functional food for the prevention and management of diseases such as cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.