Effect of palmyra (Borassus flabellifer L.) sprout powder incorporation on the nutritional, sensory and storage quality of biscuits

Abstract:

Palmyra sprout (Borassus flabellifer L.), locally panang kilangu, is a fibre rich underutilised tuber whose consumption has declined with urbanisation. Sprouts were washed, peeled, cut, boiled, tray dried, milled and sieved into a powder, which replaced refined wheat flour at 5% (T₁), 10% (T₂) and 15% (T₃) in biscuits against an unsubstituted control. Biscuits were assessed for sensory acceptability, proximate composition, microbiological quality over 14 days and sensory shelf life over 40 days. Acceptability was not monotonic: T₂ scored highest on every attribute, reaching 8.9 for overall acceptability against 7.30 for the control, while T₃ fell to 7.0. Crude fibre rose more than sevenfold, from 0.82% to 5.95% in T₂ and 6.72% in T₃; protein from 5.78% to 7.97% and 8.21%; ash from 1.64% to 2.22% and 2.74%; fat fell from 21.42% to 20.05% and carbohydrate from 66.24% to 58.61%. Moisture rose slightly from 3.10% to 3.67%. Coliforms were absent throughout, total plate count and yeast and mould in T₂ rose from 4 and 2 to 23 and 16 times 10 cubed cfu/g over 14 days, and acceptability stayed above threshold for 40 days. Substitution at 10% is recommended, giving seven times the crude fibre of the control while scoring higher on every sensory attribute.