The Effect of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L.) Fortification, Rich in Dietary Fibre and Antioxidants, on Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Biscuits

In the present study, an attempt was made to enrich cookies with ground seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) and to determine the effect of this addition on the quality of cookies. The content of nutrients, fibre, and calorific value, as well as, texture, spreadability factor, volume, colour and sensory parameters were tested. The biscuits were characterized by lower caloric value, hardness and volume, but higher spreadability. The cookies with 5% of milk thistle gained high consumer acceptance, but greater than 20% addition caused a worsening quality of the product. The biscuit fortification with ground milk thistle seeds seems to be justified, through enrichment of the products with fibre and the antioxidant compounds having health-promoting properties.