Nutritional, antioxidant and safety assessment of functional cookies enriched with Murraya koenigii and Gnetum gnemon

This study investigates the incorporation of Murraya koenigii (curry leaf) and Gnetum gnemon (melinjo) leaf powders into cookies to develop a functional snack with enhanced nutritional and bioactive properties. Cookies were prepared as separate formulations fortified with M. koenigii or G. gnemon leaf powder at 1, 5, and 10 g per 100 g wheat flour and evaluated for their physicochemical, nutritional, biofunctional, and safety properties. Fortification significantly affected cookie structure and texture by reducing the spread ratio, increasing hardness, and moderately enhancing water and oil absorption. Compared with the control, proximate analysis revealed increased protein content and ash content alongside reduced fat content, with the highest level of G. gnemon fortification exhibiting 29% lower measured fat content than the control. Fatty acid composition analysis revealed changes in the fatty acid profile following fortification, including reduced stearic acid content. Antioxidant analyses demonstrated increased total phenolic, flavonoid, and flavonol contents, particularly at higher concentrations, with G. gnemon exhibiting the highest antioxidant activity among the fortified formulations. The brine shrimp lethality assay classified all fortified cookie formulations as non-toxic (LC₅₀ > 1000 µg/mL) under the conditions tested. Overall, both botanicals effectively enhanced the nutritional and biofunctional properties of cookies, highlighting their potential as functional food ingredients derived from under-explored regional plant resources while supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 12.