DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM) FLOUR-FORTIFIED COOKIES FOR BONE HEALTH: A PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY EVALUATION

Abstract

Osteoporosis and declining bone mineral density are growing global health concerns, particularly among post-menopausal women and older adults, highlighting the need for functional foods that supply bone-supportive nutrients through everyday diets. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds are a rich natural source of calcium, phosphorus, protein, dietary fiber and bioactive antioxidants, making them a promising ingredient for fortifying widely consumed bakery products such as cookies. This study developed and evaluated cookies in which refined wheat flour was partially replaced with sesame cake flour (SCF) at five levels: 0% (T0, control), 5% (T1), 10% (T2), 15% (T3) and 20% (T4). The resulting cookies were assessed for physical properties (diameter, thickness, spread ratio, spread factor), proximate composition (moisture, crude fat, crude protein, ash, crude fiber, carbohydrate, energy), mineral content (calcium and phosphorus), sensory acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale, and moisture/texture stability over 45 days of ambient storage. Increasing SCF substitution significantly (p<0.05) increased diameter, spread ratio, fat, protein, ash, fiber, calcium, phosphorus and energy content, while thickness, moisture and carbohydrate content decreased. Calcium and phosphorus content rose several-fold at higher substitution levels. Sensory scores followed a non-linear trend, peaking at T2 (10%) for color, aroma, texture, taste and overall acceptability, and declining sharply at T4 due to over-spreading, bitterness and crumbliness. T2 also maintained the best moisture and texture stability over 45 days of storage. Based on the integration of physical, nutritional, mineral, sensory and storage results, 10% sesame cake flour substitution (T2) was identified as the optimum formulation, offering enhanced bone-supportive mineral content and nutritional value without compromising consumer acceptability, supporting its potential as a functional food for bone health promotion.