Effect of watermelon flour on the physicochemical and sensory quality attributes of Biscuits
Main Article Content
Keywords
biscuits; physicochemical quality; sensory attributes; watermelon flour
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of watermelon flour on the physicochemical and sensory quality attributes of biscuits. Wheat-based biscuits were produced by substituting wheat flour with watermelon flour at ratios of 10, 15, and 20%. The products were assessed for proximate composition, color characteristics, mineral content, and sensory attributes. Watermelon and wheat flour contain 8.40% and 6.30% moisture, 6.0% and 10.0% protein, 3.0% and 6.29% fat, 4.45% and 1.45% ash, 7.3% and 1.3% fiber, and 65.5% and 73.5% carbohydrate, respectively. The highest level of bulk density (0.77 g/ mL) was observed in biscuits containing 10% watermelon flour, and the highest water (2.97 g/g) and oil (1.7 g/g) absorption capacities were in biscuits with 20% watermelon flour. The highest L* (61.09) value was seen in wheat flour biscuits, whereas the highest a*(8.45) and b* (27.12) values were in biscuits with 20% watermelon flour. The highest contents of moisture (12.87%), ash (13.80%), fiber (9.50%), and fat (10.38%) were in biscuits with 20% watermelon flour whereas the least values were in control 100% wheat biscuits. The highest levels of calcium (36.34 ppm), sodium (2.80 ppm), phosphorus (33.35 ppm), and iron (92.08 ppm) were in 20% watermelon biscuits, whereas, the least ones were in control biscuits. No significant differences in the sensory attributes among all biscuit’s formulations. Overall, incorporation of watermelon flour at 20% could improve the nutritional and health quality attributes of biscuits without negative effects on the consumer acceptance of the developed product.
References
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Al-Kuraieef, A. N. (2021). Study on the effect of incorporation of irradiated sunflower flour on the physicochemical and sensory properties of biscuits during the storage period. Food Research, 5(2), 191–200.
Al-Sayed, H. M. A., & Ahmed, A. R. (2013). Utilization of watermelon rinds and sharlyn melon peels as a natural source of dietary fiber and antioxidants in cake. Annals of Agricultural Sciences, 58, 83–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aoas.2013.01.012
AOAC. (1995). Official methods of analysis. Washington, DC: Association of Official Analytical Chemists.
AACC International. (2001). Approved methods of analysis (10th ed., Method 10-54: Soft‐dough biscuit preparation).
Arivuchudar, R. (2023). Nutritional and sensory characterization of watermelon rind powder incorporated crackers. Bioscience, Biotechnology Research Asia, 20(1), 263–269.
Ashoka, S., Shamshad, S., Rajaram, B., & Ray, M. (2021). Effect of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind flour incorporation on nutritional and organoleptic attributes of cakes. Mysore Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 55, 31–35.
Awuchi, C. G., Igwe, V. S., & Echeta, C. K. (2019). The functional properties of food and flour. International Journal of Advanced Academic Research, Sciences, Technology and Engineering, 5(11), 139–160.
Bello, F. A., & Oladeji, B. S. (2024). Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of cocoyam, African yam bean and watermelon rind flour blends and consumer acceptability of its cake. IPS Journal of Nutrition and Food Science, 3(3), 214–221.
BeMiller, J. N., & Low, N. H. (1998). Carbohydrate analysis. In S. S. Nielsen (Ed.), Food analysis (2nd ed., pp. 167–187). Gaithersburg, MD: Chapman and Hall.
Bolaji, O. T., Adeyeye, S. A. O., & Ogunmuyiwa, D. (2022). Quality evaluation of bread produced from whole wheat flour blended with watermelon seed flour. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, Article 2068466. https://doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2022.2068466
Chakrabarty, K., & Chakrabarty, A. S. (Eds.). (2019). Micronutrients. In Textbook of nutrition in health and disease (pp. 75–122). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-0962-9_4
Di Mattia, C. D., Sacchetti, G., Mastrocola, D., & Pittia, P. (2020). Bioactive compounds and quality of extra virgin olive oil. Antioxidants, 10(5), 689. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10050689
FAOSTAT. (2025). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations data. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL (Accessed May 10, 2025).
Fila, W. A., Itam, E. H., Johnson, J. T., Odey, M. O., Effiong, E. E., Dasofunjo, K., & Ambo, E. E. (2013). Comparative proximate compositions of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), and rambutan (Nephelium). International Journal of Science and Technology, 2, 81–88.
Fradinho, P., Nunes, M. C., & Raymundo, A. (2015). Developing consumer acceptable biscuits enriched with psyllium fiber. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52, 4830–4840. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1549-6.
Gómez-García, R., Sánchez-Gutiérrez, M., Freitas-Costa, C., Vilas-Boas, A. A., Campos, D. A., Aguilar, C. N., et al. (2022). Prebiotic effect, bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of melon peel (Cucumis melo L. inodorus) flour subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and human faecal fermentation. Food Research International, 154, 111045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111045
Goubgou, M., Songré-Ouattara, L. T., Bationo, F., Lingani-Sawadogo, H., Traoré, Y., & Savadogo, A. (2021). Biscuits: A systematic review and meta-analysis of improving the nutritional quality and health benefits. Food Production, Processing and Nutrition, 3, 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-021-00071-z
Hussain, A., Laaraj, S., Tikent, A., Elfazazi, K., Adil, M., Parveen, S., Bouhrim, M., Mothana, R. A., Noman, O. M., Eto, B., Yaqub, S., Fatima, H., & Firdous, N. (2024). Physicochemical and phytochemical analysis of three melon fruit (canary melon, watermelon, and muskmelon) peels, and their valorization in biscuits development. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1444017. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1444017
Imoisi, C., Iyasele, J. U., Michael, U. C., & Imhontu, E. E. (2020). The effects of watermelon rind flour on the functional and proximate properties of wheat bread. Journal of the Chemical Society of Nigeria, 45(5), 978–986.
Kassegn, H. H. (2018). Determination of proximate composition and bioactive compounds of the Abyssinian purple wheat. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 4, 1421415. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2018.1421415
Koçak, M. Z. (2024). Phenolic compounds, fatty acid composition, and antioxidant activities of some flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) varieties: A comprehensive analysis. Processes, 12(4), 689. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12040689
Matthäus, B., Özcan, M. M., & Al Juhaimi, F. Y. (2015). Fatty acid composition and tocopherol profiles of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seed oils. Natural Product Research, 29(2), 193–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2014.971316
Mente, A., O’Donnell, M., & Yusuf, S. (2021). Sodium intake and health: What should we recommend based on the current evidence? Nutrients, 13, 3232. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu1309323
Murphy, J., & Riley, J. P. (1962). A modified single-solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analytica Chimica Acta, 27, 31–36.
Nisar, N., Mustafa, F., Tahir, A., Qadri, R., Yang, Y., Khan, M. I., & Wang, F. (2020). Proximate composition, functional properties and quantitative analysis of benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in wheat flour samples: Effect on wheat flour quality. PeerJ, 8, e8788. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8788
Nissar, J., Sidiqi, U. S., Dar, A. H., & Akbar, U. (2025). Nutritional composition and bioactive potential of watermelon seeds: A pathway to sustainable food and health innovation. Sustainable Food Technology, 3, 375.
Olaitan, N. I., Eke, M. O., & Agudu, S. S. (2017). Effect of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind flour supplementation on the quality of wheat-based cookies. The International Journal of Engineering and Science, 6(12), 38–44.
Onabanjo, O. O., & Ighere, D. A. (2014). Nutritional, functional and sensory properties of biscuit produced from wheat-sweet potato composite. Journal of Food Technology Research, 1, 111–121.
Oyeyinka, S. A., Oyeyinka, A. T., Karim, O. R., Toyeeb, K. A., Olatunde, S. J., & Arise, A. K. (2014). Biscuit making potentials of flours from wheat and plantain at different stages of ripeness. Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology, 6, 36–42.
Peter-Ikechukwu, A. I., Omeire, G. C., Kabuo, N. O., Eluchie, C. N., Amandikwa, C., & Odoemenam, G. I. (2018). Production and evaluation of biscuits made from wheat flour and toasted watermelon seed meal as fat substitute. Journal of Food Research, 7(5), 112–123.
Quandoh, E., & Albornoz, K. (2025). Fresh-cut watermelon: Postharvest physiology, technology, and opportunities for quality improvement. Frontiers in Genetics, 16, 1523240. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2025.1523240.
Sadiq, I. S., Saminu, M. Y., Zainab, L., Adeleye, A. O., Sanni, L. E., & Dandalma, Z. A. (2022). Proximate analysis and phytochemical screening of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) pulp, peels and seeds. Dutse Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 7, 174–182. https://doi.org/10.4314/dujopas.v7i4a.18
Shahidi, F., Chavan, U. D., Bal, A. K., & McKenzie, D. B. (1999). Chemical composition of beach pea (Lathyrus maritimus L.) plant parts. Food Chemistry, 64, 39–44.
Suresh Chandra, Samsher Singh, & Durvesh Kumari. (2015). Evaluation of functional properties of composite flours and sensorial attributes of composite flour biscuits. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(6), 3681–3688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1427-2
Wani, A. A., Sogi, D. S., Singh, P., Sharma, P., & Pangal, A. (2012). Dough-handling and cookie-making properties of wheat flour–watermelon protein isolate blends. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 5, 1612–1621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-011-0655-1
Watts, B. M., Ylimaki, G. L., & Jeffery, L. E. (1989). Basic sensory methods for food evaluation. Ottawa: The International Development Research Centre.
Wójcik, M., Bienczak, A., Woźniak, P., & Różyło, R. (2023). Impact of watermelon seed flour on the physical, chemical, and sensory properties of low-carbohydrate, high-protein bread. Processes, 11, 3282. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11123282
Zia, S., Khan, M. R., Shabbir, M. A., & Aadil, R. M. (2021). [Title missing]. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 114, 275–291.
Ali, A. A. H. (2023). Overview of the vital roles of macro minerals in the human body. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 4, 100076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemin.2023.100076
Al-Kuraieef, A. N. (2021). Study on the effect of incorporation of irradiated sunflower flour on the physicochemical and sensory properties of biscuits during the storage period. Food Research, 5(2), 191–200.
Al-Sayed, H. M. A., & Ahmed, A. R. (2013). Utilization of watermelon rinds and sharlyn melon peels as a natural source of dietary fiber and antioxidants in cake. Annals of Agricultural Sciences, 58, 83–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aoas.2013.01.012
AOAC. (1995). Official methods of analysis. Washington, DC: Association of Official Analytical Chemists.
AACC International. (2001). Approved methods of analysis (10th ed., Method 10-54: Soft‐dough biscuit preparation).
Arivuchudar, R. (2023). Nutritional and sensory characterization of watermelon rind powder incorporated crackers. Bioscience, Biotechnology Research Asia, 20(1), 263–269.
Ashoka, S., Shamshad, S., Rajaram, B., & Ray, M. (2021). Effect of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind flour incorporation on nutritional and organoleptic attributes of cakes. Mysore Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 55, 31–35.
Awuchi, C. G., Igwe, V. S., & Echeta, C. K. (2019). The functional properties of food and flour. International Journal of Advanced Academic Research, Sciences, Technology and Engineering, 5(11), 139–160.
Bello, F. A., & Oladeji, B. S. (2024). Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of cocoyam, African yam bean and watermelon rind flour blends and consumer acceptability of its cake. IPS Journal of Nutrition and Food Science, 3(3), 214–221.
BeMiller, J. N., & Low, N. H. (1998). Carbohydrate analysis. In S. S. Nielsen (Ed.), Food analysis (2nd ed., pp. 167–187). Gaithersburg, MD: Chapman and Hall.
Bolaji, O. T., Adeyeye, S. A. O., & Ogunmuyiwa, D. (2022). Quality evaluation of bread produced from whole wheat flour blended with watermelon seed flour. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, Article 2068466. https://doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2022.2068466
Chakrabarty, K., & Chakrabarty, A. S. (Eds.). (2019). Micronutrients. In Textbook of nutrition in health and disease (pp. 75–122). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-0962-9_4
Di Mattia, C. D., Sacchetti, G., Mastrocola, D., & Pittia, P. (2020). Bioactive compounds and quality of extra virgin olive oil. Antioxidants, 10(5), 689. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10050689
FAOSTAT. (2025). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations data. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL (Accessed May 10, 2025).
Fila, W. A., Itam, E. H., Johnson, J. T., Odey, M. O., Effiong, E. E., Dasofunjo, K., & Ambo, E. E. (2013). Comparative proximate compositions of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), and rambutan (Nephelium). International Journal of Science and Technology, 2, 81–88.
Fradinho, P., Nunes, M. C., & Raymundo, A. (2015). Developing consumer acceptable biscuits enriched with psyllium fiber. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52, 4830–4840. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1549-6.
Gómez-García, R., Sánchez-Gutiérrez, M., Freitas-Costa, C., Vilas-Boas, A. A., Campos, D. A., Aguilar, C. N., et al. (2022). Prebiotic effect, bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of melon peel (Cucumis melo L. inodorus) flour subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and human faecal fermentation. Food Research International, 154, 111045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111045
Goubgou, M., Songré-Ouattara, L. T., Bationo, F., Lingani-Sawadogo, H., Traoré, Y., & Savadogo, A. (2021). Biscuits: A systematic review and meta-analysis of improving the nutritional quality and health benefits. Food Production, Processing and Nutrition, 3, 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-021-00071-z
Hussain, A., Laaraj, S., Tikent, A., Elfazazi, K., Adil, M., Parveen, S., Bouhrim, M., Mothana, R. A., Noman, O. M., Eto, B., Yaqub, S., Fatima, H., & Firdous, N. (2024). Physicochemical and phytochemical analysis of three melon fruit (canary melon, watermelon, and muskmelon) peels, and their valorization in biscuits development. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1444017. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1444017
Imoisi, C., Iyasele, J. U., Michael, U. C., & Imhontu, E. E. (2020). The effects of watermelon rind flour on the functional and proximate properties of wheat bread. Journal of the Chemical Society of Nigeria, 45(5), 978–986.
Kassegn, H. H. (2018). Determination of proximate composition and bioactive compounds of the Abyssinian purple wheat. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 4, 1421415. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2018.1421415
Koçak, M. Z. (2024). Phenolic compounds, fatty acid composition, and antioxidant activities of some flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) varieties: A comprehensive analysis. Processes, 12(4), 689. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12040689
Matthäus, B., Özcan, M. M., & Al Juhaimi, F. Y. (2015). Fatty acid composition and tocopherol profiles of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seed oils. Natural Product Research, 29(2), 193–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2014.971316
Mente, A., O’Donnell, M., & Yusuf, S. (2021). Sodium intake and health: What should we recommend based on the current evidence? Nutrients, 13, 3232. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu1309323
Murphy, J., & Riley, J. P. (1962). A modified single-solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analytica Chimica Acta, 27, 31–36.
Nisar, N., Mustafa, F., Tahir, A., Qadri, R., Yang, Y., Khan, M. I., & Wang, F. (2020). Proximate composition, functional properties and quantitative analysis of benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in wheat flour samples: Effect on wheat flour quality. PeerJ, 8, e8788. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8788
Nissar, J., Sidiqi, U. S., Dar, A. H., & Akbar, U. (2025). Nutritional composition and bioactive potential of watermelon seeds: A pathway to sustainable food and health innovation. Sustainable Food Technology, 3, 375.
Olaitan, N. I., Eke, M. O., & Agudu, S. S. (2017). Effect of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind flour supplementation on the quality of wheat-based cookies. The International Journal of Engineering and Science, 6(12), 38–44.
Onabanjo, O. O., & Ighere, D. A. (2014). Nutritional, functional and sensory properties of biscuit produced from wheat-sweet potato composite. Journal of Food Technology Research, 1, 111–121.
Oyeyinka, S. A., Oyeyinka, A. T., Karim, O. R., Toyeeb, K. A., Olatunde, S. J., & Arise, A. K. (2014). Biscuit making potentials of flours from wheat and plantain at different stages of ripeness. Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology, 6, 36–42.
Peter-Ikechukwu, A. I., Omeire, G. C., Kabuo, N. O., Eluchie, C. N., Amandikwa, C., & Odoemenam, G. I. (2018). Production and evaluation of biscuits made from wheat flour and toasted watermelon seed meal as fat substitute. Journal of Food Research, 7(5), 112–123.
Quandoh, E., & Albornoz, K. (2025). Fresh-cut watermelon: Postharvest physiology, technology, and opportunities for quality improvement. Frontiers in Genetics, 16, 1523240. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2025.1523240.
Sadiq, I. S., Saminu, M. Y., Zainab, L., Adeleye, A. O., Sanni, L. E., & Dandalma, Z. A. (2022). Proximate analysis and phytochemical screening of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) pulp, peels and seeds. Dutse Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 7, 174–182. https://doi.org/10.4314/dujopas.v7i4a.18
Shahidi, F., Chavan, U. D., Bal, A. K., & McKenzie, D. B. (1999). Chemical composition of beach pea (Lathyrus maritimus L.) plant parts. Food Chemistry, 64, 39–44.
Suresh Chandra, Samsher Singh, & Durvesh Kumari. (2015). Evaluation of functional properties of composite flours and sensorial attributes of composite flour biscuits. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(6), 3681–3688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1427-2
Wani, A. A., Sogi, D. S., Singh, P., Sharma, P., & Pangal, A. (2012). Dough-handling and cookie-making properties of wheat flour–watermelon protein isolate blends. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 5, 1612–1621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-011-0655-1
Watts, B. M., Ylimaki, G. L., & Jeffery, L. E. (1989). Basic sensory methods for food evaluation. Ottawa: The International Development Research Centre.
Wójcik, M., Bienczak, A., Woźniak, P., & Różyło, R. (2023). Impact of watermelon seed flour on the physical, chemical, and sensory properties of low-carbohydrate, high-protein bread. Processes, 11, 3282. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11123282
Zia, S., Khan, M. R., Shabbir, M. A., & Aadil, R. M. (2021). [Title missing]. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 114, 275–291.
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Aljahani, A., & Alkurieef, A. (n.d.). Effect of watermelon flour on the physicochemical and sensory quality attributes of Biscuits. Italian Journal of Food Science, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.15586/
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How to Cite
Aljahani, A., & Alkurieef, A. (n.d.). Effect of watermelon flour on the physicochemical and sensory quality attributes of Biscuits. Italian Journal of Food Science, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.15586/