Development and Characterization of Flaxseed and Lemon Peel Crackers against Non- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

In the modern era, the rise of chronic diseases including Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), heart disease and diabetes are primarily linked to unhealthy dietary habits, lack of physical activity and environmental factors. To tackle this growing health problem, it’s important to focus on eating better and making healthier lifestyle choices. In the current study, crackers were developed using different combinations of flaxseed powder and lemon peel powder to evaluate their nutritional, functional and sensory qualities. Crackers were prepared using different combinations of the ingredients and were assessed for their proximate composition, antioxidant activity and sensory evaluations over a 30-day storage period. Proximate analysis shows a significant difference among the treatments. Proximate analysis shows protein content 8.15 ± 0.03%, fiber 4.22 ± 0.01%, ash 2.24 ± 0.02% content, fat content (6.79 ± 0.04%). the Antioxidant activity was measured by using DPPH method recorded values were 30. 65 ± 0.08 mg to 30.18±0.10 and total phenolic content 41.3 ± 0.04 to 39.57± 0.06 with significant level of p < 0.05. The total phenolic content (TPC) followed a similar trend. Overall, the results indicate that the addition of flaxseed powder and lemon peel powder to crackers improved their nutritional and functional properties with T3 showing the best results in terms of antioxidant activity and color maintaining a good balance in moisture protein and fiber content throughout the 30-day storage period. All the data was subjected to appropriate statistical analysis.