Formulation and Nutritional Evaluation of Fenugreek and Date Enriched Ragi Bars for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Management

Abstract

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age often associated with insulin resistance, oxidative stress and obesity. The present study aimed to formulate and evaluate fenugreek and date- enriched ragi bars for their potential therapeutic benefits in PCOS management. Four treatments were developed using varying levels of fenugreek powder T0 (control), T1 (5%), T2 (10%) and T3 (15%). Nutritional assessment included proximate analysis, antioxidant profiling, caloric value estimation and sensory evaluation over a 30-day storage period.Among all treatments T1 (5% fenugreek powder) showed the most balanced nutritional profile and highest sensory acceptability. The mean values (±SD) for key parameters in T1 at 0 days were moisture content 10.46 ± 0.01%, ash 2.07 ± 0.02%, protein 7.72 ± 0.01%, fat7.04 ± 0.01%, fiber 5.07 ± 0.01% and caloric value 390.55 ± 0.01 kcal/100g. Antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH radical scavenging showed the highest value in T2 (10% fenugreek) with 66.66 ± 0.01%, while the total phenolic content peaked in T3 (15% fenugreek) with 5.36 ± 0.01% GAE. Sensory evaluation indicated that T1 was most preferred by the panel with a taste score of 7.73 ± 0.02, and maintained acceptable quality over 30 days. Statistical analysis revealed that treatment type and storage duration significantly affected most parameters (p < 0.05), whereas their interaction was generally non-significant.In conclusion, fenugreek and date- enriched ragi bars particularly at 5% fenugreek inclusion exhibited optimal nutritional, functional and sensory qualities supporting their use as functional dietary interventions in managing PCOS.