Superabundant date fruit production in Al-Qassim in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a plentiful region for producing date syrup resulting in massive amounts of date fiber (DF), causes environmental issues with what is considered dietary waste. However, no food producer or researcher has thought of the valorization of DF by extracting the crude polysaccharides that can be converted to nanoparticles (flours) to increase its functional group and enhance its functionality. Using the DF was the primary goal, with the new biscuits used within the current study investigated as a potent integrated approach for controlling obesity levels and its effects. Obesity is one of the most important human problems worldwide, connected to many metabolic diseases, e.g., diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Its prevalence has recently increased among Saudi children and adolescents. An investigation of the biological effects of the formulated products was carried out by feeding the formulated biscuits with different DF levels (5, 10 and 15%) to obese albino rats, in addition to positive and negative control groups, to evaluate the effect of a reduced calorie product on controlling their body weight and health stats (lipid profile, blood sugars, kidney and liver functions). The collected data showed that the most positive results were obtained from rats fed diets supplemented with 10% DF biscuits. All TCHO, TrGs, HDL, and HDL were decreased to the best levels in this group compared to the positive control group (148.23, 145.30, 37.50, and 81.67 vs. 238.37, 199.07, 62.57, and 135.99, respectively). To conclude, DF supplementation presented anti-obesity properties in animal models; however, more epidemiological trials are needed.

The effect of substituted wheat flour with pomegranate peel powder (PPP) at different ratios 5, 10, 15, and 20% on chemical composition, physical properties, color appearance, staling, and the sensory evaluation of the high-fibre cupcake was evaluated. The obtained results revealed that a slight increase in ash of cake samples with all levels of PPP was found. The highest value of ash was 1.92% given by cupcakes with 20% PPP. It was observed that a gradual significant ( ) increase in dietary fibre of prepared cupcakes with PPP compared to control cake. The dietary fibre values ranged from 2.73% for the control cake to 17.00% with 20% of PPP; it may be due to the high content of ash and dietary fibre in PPP. Also, using PPP in cupcake manufacturing had a lowered effect on their volume and specific volume, where control cupcake recorded 48.00 cm³ and 1.40 cm³/g for volume and specific volume, respectively. In addition, a gradual significant ( ) decrease in value (lightness) with incorporated different levels of PPP was found. The control cupcake had the highest lightness value (65.97) with a significant ( ) increase compared to all other cupcake samples that ranged between 37.67 and 30.18 by 5% and 20% of PPP, respectively. The results indicated that the highest value of taste was 18.75, which was given by cupcake with 5% PPP. While increasing the percentage of PPP in cupcake, the taste is less acceptable by panelists, and perhaps, this decreases in taste due to the high ratio of fibre in PPP. The highest staling was given by cupcake replaced with PPP at 20% after the ninth day of storage. Finally, it can be concluded that PPP can be used in cupcake production to raise its dietary fibre and mineral content up to a substitution rate of 10% PPP while retaining acceptable organoleptic properties.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an exceptional legume that has immense global utilization and serves as an outstanding reservoir of protein and amino acids. The present research studied the consequential outcomes that developed from the substitution of wheat flour with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% fermented chickpea flour (FCF) to prepare pan bread and its physicochemical and antioxidant activity as well as rheological and sensory properties. In terms of the visual traits of the bread, it was observed that the bread crust color turned progressively darker with increase in the level of FCF. Interestingly, despite this change in color, no significant impact was observed on the L* value of bread crust. The incorporation of FCF at all concentrations resulted in a remarkable enhancement of total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity of the bread, compared to the control sample. This finding indicated that the inclusion of FCF in bread formulations not only improved its nutritional content but also enhanced its health benefits. It was found that the integration of up to 20% FCF in bread formulations increased its nutritional composition and preference in sensory evaluation. In conclusion, the incorporation of FCF to produce pan bread presents a good future for the food industry, paving the way for the creation of bread options that are both healthier and more nutritious for consumers.

Considering the growing global interest in healthy diets and reducing sugar consumption, date paste has emerged as a natural sweetener and valuable raw material in food processing. This study promotes sustainability by evaluating date paste as a sugar substitute in orange jam production. Sugar was replaced at levels of 0, 20, 40, 50, and 80%, and the resulting products were assessed for chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and sensory characteristics. The results showed that substituting sugar with date paste significantly increased ash, protein, carotenoids, and mineral contents (particularly potassium and iron), while reducing moisture and calorie levels. Both total soluble solids and viscosity values increased as the substitution level increased. Sensory evaluation indicated that samples with 20% and 40% date paste replacement achieved the highest acceptance scores, whereas the 80% replacement level resulted in lower preference. Overall, replacing sugar with date paste enhanced the orange jam’s nutritional and physicochemical properties, with optimal sensory quality observed at moderate substitution levels. Therefore, it is recommended to use date paste as a healthy, natural sweetener (at 20–40% substitution levels) to improve nutritional value and support environmental sustainability and the local economy.

This study investigated the potential of Xylopia aethiopica (Komba) to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of mish, a traditional Sudanese fermented dairy product. Motivated by the documented nutritional significance of both Xylopia aethiopica and mish, we examined dose-response effects of Komba fruit powder (incorporated at 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% w/w) in mish produced from Dal Dairy Factory yoghurt. Chemical composition (AOAC methods), bioactive properties (DPPH radical scavenging assay), and sensory attributes (9-point structured hedonic scale; 60 panelists) were analyzed. Results demonstrated concentration-dependent improvements: The 1.5% Komba formulation exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.001) values than the control for total solids (17.0% vs. 13.80%), protein (5.95% vs. 4.75%), fat (5.05% vs. 3.94%), ash (2.77% vs. 1.25%), fiber (1.26% vs. 0.00%), and titratable acidity (2.06% vs. 1.70% lactic acid equivalent), alongside reduced pH (5.05 vs. 5.80). Mineral analysis confirmed elevated concentrations (P < 0.001) in the 1.5% sample: calcium (980.22 mg/100g vs. 895.60), potassium (482.61 mg/100g vs. 455.35), magnesium (182.33 mg/100g vs. 115.37), and iron (0.26 mg/100g vs. 0.19). Antioxidant activity increased proportionally to Komba concentration, with the 1.5% sample showing maximal DPPH radical scavenging (84.4% ± 0.001 vs. control: 67.1% ± 0.001), total flavonoids (76.7 ± 0.1 mg QE/100g DW vs. 30.5 ± 0.3), and total phenolics (39.9 ± 0.1 mg GAE/100g DW vs. 14.01 ± 0.1). These findings establish Xylopia aethiopica as a functional enhancer for mish, improving nutritional density and antioxidant capacity, supporting its application in value-added fermented foods and nutraceuticals.