Green tea-millets based multi-nutritive cookies: innovative formulation and nutritional analyses

This study aimed to develop a functional cookie (GC) incorporating green tea leaves, wheatgrass, pearl millet flour, and a blend of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax, fennel, sesame) as a nutrient-dense alternative to conventional refined flour cookies. Three formulations (GC-1, GC-2, GC-3) were assessed for physicochemical, nutritional, antioxidant, mineral, and sensory attributes. Refined flour-based cookies (RC-1) served as the control. Among the formulations, GC-1 demonstrated superior nutritional quality with higher protein (10.55 ± 0.40 %), crude fiber (62.53 ± 0.02 %), antioxidant activity (89.48 ± 0.27 %), TFC, TPC, vitamins C and B3, PUFA, and lower cholesterol. It was also rich in zinc (25.07 mg/kg), iron (2.07 mg/100 g), and potassium (341.76 mg/100 g), while heavy metals remained below quantifiable limits. GC-1 also received the highest sensory acceptability score (9.0). The current findings support the capabilities of GC-1 as a nutritional rich functional food product, pending further clinical validation.