ABSTRACT

Quality evaluation of biscuit samples produced with watermelon seed flour was investigated. The history of watermelon, its nutrient content, uses and medicinal hciicfts was analyzed. The research work reviewed some uses of watermelon seed such as in making of local heads, oil. and green tea and in flour production. It also highlights the nutritional and health benefits of watermelon and its seed such as Protein, Fat, Minerals and Vitamins content. The health benefit of watermelon includes, Heart care, Muscular generation, Kidney problems healing etc. The process of making biscuit and the steps required was also reviewed. Watermelon seed was used in watermelon seed flour production and it was incorporated with wheat flour in biscuit production. The proximate composition and functional properties of the sample was determined. Quality of biscuit made with the blends was evaluated by a semi trained sensory panel, the watermelon seed flour was blended with wheat flour at the ratios 100:0, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70 and 0;lOo respectively. The protein, Ash and crude fibre content ranked high in sampled containing high watermelon seed flour while in moisture content and carbohydrate content ranked high in high wheat flour blends. Bulk density, Water absorption and oil absorption capacity had high contents in samples blended with high amount of wheat flour while temperature had high temperature in high watermelon seed flour blends, Watermelon seed flour and wheat flour 30:70 ranked best in sensory evaluation apart from the control. All the biscuits were acceptable scoring above 4.50 in a 9 point hedonic scale, therefore up to 30% wheat flour can be replaced with watermelon seed flour in biscuit production. Minerals and vitamin content of watermelon seed was analyzed, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium and thiamine and their result tallied with the result of the USDA natural database for standard reference nutritional profile of the watermelon seed yelled