Development of biscuits from bangle (Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.) rhizome flour and purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) flour, and their potential as antihyperlipidemic functional foods

Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. (ZC) and purple sweet potato (PSP) are the potential sources of antioxidants, and play an important role in reducing blood fat levels, and encourage the development of antihyperlipidemic products, usually in the form of biscuits. Biscuits are favoured by consumers because of their delicious and varied tastes, relatively cheap prices, and complete nutritional content. In the present work, biscuits were made with three formula variations of ZC:PSP ratios namely F1 (0.75:5.25 g), F2 (0.45:5.55 g), and F3 (0.2:5.72 g), and then tested for their physical quality based on Indonesian National Standard (SNI), and hedonic testing to get the best formula, including aroma, colour, texture, and taste. Furthermore, in vivo antihyperlipidemic testing was carried out on the best formula. The test was conducted by dividing Sprague-Dawley rats into four groups, namely normal, negative, positive (Nutrive Benecol animal, 3.6 mL/day for 28 days), and the best formula (1.944 g/day for 28 days). All groups were induced with high fat diet (HFD) for 28 days, except normal group. Results showed a decrease in cholesterol, triglyceride, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) levels in the normal group with values of 99.09 mg/dL, 90.36 mg/dL, 22.66 U/I, and 39.41 U/I, respectively, as compared to the negative group with values of 195.01 mg/dL, 142.44 mg/dL, 29.05 U/I, and 77.19 U/I, respectively. There was an increase in cholesterol, triglyceride, SGOT, and SGPT levels in the positive group with values of 108.39 mg/dL, 96.12 mg/dL, 24.11 U/I, and 48.55 U/I, respectively, as compared to the normal group test. A combination of biscuits made from ZC and PSP flour could have the potential to reduce lipid levels in the blood, and encourage the development of antihyperlipidemic products.