Development, Formulation, Nutritional Profile, And Sensory Evaluation of a Novel Drynaria Quercifolia-Incorporated Instant Health Mix for Bone Health

Abstract

Background: The Drynaria quercifolia is an important medicinal plant linked to bone and joint health. Developing the rhizome powder of this plant can be one possible way to utilize plant extracts in the development of functional foods by incorporating this rhizome powder into a nutritious food product.
Aim: The current study was carried out with the purpose of preparation of Drynaria quercifolia rhizome powder, its characterization and preparation of Drynaria instant health mix formulation using sensory acceptability, nutritional analysis, physio-chemical analysis, shelf stability of formulation.
Methods: Fresh rhizomes of D. quercifolia collected from Kolli hills were cleaned, peeled, washed, tray dried at 60°C for six hours and made into powder. Three formulations were prepared using varying amounts of Drynaria powder (30, 40, and 50 g) along with finger millet, Bengal gram, almond, pumpkin seed, flaxseed, and peanut. Sensory assessment was carried out by 100 panel members using five-point hedonic scale.
Results: Variation III, containing 50 g Drynaria powder and 20 g finger millet, demonstrated the highest overall acceptability score (4.84 ± 0.37). Significant differences were observed among formulations for sensory attributes (p < 0.001). Drynaria powder contained 333.7 kcal energy, 12.36 g protein, 68.64 g carbohydrate, 1.06 g fat, and 6.79 g fibre per 100 g. The selected health mix showed a reported shelf life of 30 days at room temperature, with bacterial counts increasing to 4 × 10⁵ CFU/g by day 30.
Conclusion: The developed Drynaria-based instant health mix demonstrated good sensory acceptability and nutritional potential. Further safety, standardization, and clinical investigations are required before making health-related claims.