Formulation, Quality Evaluation, and Antioxidant Potential of Gluten-Free Biscuits Enriched with Rice and Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Flours

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate gluten free biscuits specifically designed for individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. To achieve this, five different biscuit formulations were prepared to investigate the effects of hydrocolloids and blends of rice and chickpea flours on biscuit quality. T0 (control) was made entirely with wheat flour and did not include any gluten-free components. In the T1 to T2 (experimental treatments), wheat flour was replaced with varying combinations of rice flour (70% to 80%) and chickpea flour (18% to 29%). Additionally, natural hydrocolloids gum karaya and gum acacia were incorporated at two levels: 0.5% and 1.0%. The specific formulations were as follows: T1 consisted of 80% rice flour, 19% chickpea flour, and 0.5% of each gum; T2 had the same flour composition but included 1.0% of each gum; T3 contained 70% rice flour, 29% chickpea flour, and 0.5% of each gum; while T4 used 70% rice flour, 28% chickpea flour, and 1.0% of each gum. These formulations were analyzed for their physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and were also subjected to sensory evaluation. The results indicated that all gluten free treatments significantly improved biscuit quality in comparison to the control sample. Among them, T4 demonstrated the best physical and antioxidant properties, along with improved spread ratio and superior nutritional values in terms of moisture, protein, fat, and ash content. Therefore, T4 was selected as the most effective gluten-free biscuit formulation in this study.