Fortification of cereal products with natural plant extract is an interesting approach to fulfill the dietary requirement of the people.
Peels of pomegranate (rich source of natural compounds) were cut into small pieces and dried in three different methods such as solar drying (SOD), oven drying (OD), and sun drying (SUD). The fine powder was prepared and proximate compositions (protein, ash, moisture, fats, fiber, and carbohydrates), minerals (zinc, iron, calcium, and potassium), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH) of the pomegranate peel powder (PP) were evaluated. Fine wheat flour (FWF) was fortified with different concentrations (3, 6, 8, 10, and 12 g) of PP powder, cookies were prepared and all the above analysis along with physical parameters (weight, width, thickness, spread ration) and sensory analysis were conducted. Cookies without PP powder were served as control.
Results showed that a SOD was the best for drying PP powder in terms of compositional analysis. Addition of PP powder significantly (