Characterization of Different Cultivars of Oat (Avena Sativa L.) for Development of Oat-incorporated Cookies
Five oat cultivars – Kent, OS-6, PLP-1, OL-125 and OL-9 were evaluated for their nutritional composition and further investigated how incorporating the most nutrient-rich cultivar into cookies influenced their nutritional quality. The study was conducted to provide comparative data on the nutritional variability among oat cultivars and their suitability for bakery product development. All cultivars contained substantial levels of proteins (10.70%–15.46%), crude fibre (3.62%–6.16%), crude fat (4.42%–6.13%), ash (1.08%–2.05%), and minerals including copper (3.40–5.47 mg/kg), manganese (25.28–34.08 mg/kg), iron (27.56–56.23 mg/kg), and zinc (25.07–36.47 mg/kg). The Kent cultivar showed relatively high nutrient levels for protein (15.46%), fiber (6.16%), Fe (56.23 mg/kg), and TPC (27.36 mg GAE/100 g). Based on its relatively favourable nutritional and bioactive profiles, Kent was preferred for preparing oat-incorporated cookies. To examine its functional properties in baked products, wheat flour was moderately replaced with Kent oat flour at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%. As the fraction of oat flour increased, cookies showed significant increases in protein, fiber, and ash contents (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, oat incorporation affected the crude fat content and calorific value of the developed cookies, adding to their overall nutritional quality. Although sensory ratings gradually declined as substitution levels increased, formulations containing up to 75% oat flour remained acceptable to panellists. All experimental data were statistically scrutinised using one-way ANOVA followed by the LSD test at p ≤ 0.05, while sensory acceptance was judged using a 9-point hedonic scale, and cookies with mean sensory scores ≥7.0 were considered moderately desirable. The 75% substitution level was considered the most suitable formulation based on the amalgamated assessment of nutritional enhancement and sensory acceptability. Overall, the findings established that the Kent cultivar possessed favourable nutritional attributes and could be incorporated into cookies at levels up to 75% while maintaining acceptable sensory quality.