Nutrient-Dense Wheatgrass Ladoo Formulations for Athlete Nutrition: A Biochemical Profiling of Sunflower and Pumpkin Seed Variants

Nutrition-focused metabolite and food composition analyses are increasingly relevant for designing functional foods for athletic populations. This study developed nutrient-dense wheatgrass ladoo formulations enriched with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, evaluating their nutritional and physicochemical characteristics as potential snack options for athletes. Ingredients were procured from licensed vendors and processed through roasting, grinding, mixing, and shaping. Samples were analyzed at the FICCI laboratory, with sensory evaluation by 25 semi-trained panelists assessing appearance, taste, color, texture, aroma, sweetness, and overall acceptability; pH analysis compared the two variants.

Nutritional analysis showed the sunflower seed variant contained 45.53 g carbohydrates, 26.3 g protein, and 21.76 g fat per 100 g, while the pumpkin seed variant contained 54.4 g carbohydrates, 32.7 g protein, and 24 g fat per 100 g, indicating notable variation in nutrient density. A statistically significant mean difference of 0.29889 pH units was observed between variants (p < 0.001), suggesting formulation-dependent differences potentially influencing stability and sensory quality.

This study did not include micronutrient or bioactive phytochemical profiling; however, published literature indicates sunflower seeds contain tocopherols, phenolic acids (chlorogenic, caffeic, ferulic, gallic, protocatechuic, coumaric, sinapic acids), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, apigenin, heliannone), carotenoids, L-ascorbic acid, and antioxidant enzymes; pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols (β-sitosterol), tocopherols, carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin), phenolic compounds (vanillic, ferulic, tyrosol, luteolin, sinapic acids, trigonelline, D-chiro-inositol, nicotinic acid), cucurbitacins, lignans, and selenium; wheatgrass contains flavonoids (rutin, quercetin), phenolic acids (gallic acid), vitamins, minerals, and proteins. These compounds are associated with antioxidant capacity, metabolic health, exercise recovery, and athlete health in published literature, and their absence in this characterization represents a limitation warranting future investigation.

Wheatgrass ladoos enriched with sunflower and pumpkin seeds may serve as practical, natural, nutrient-rich snack alternatives for athletes, supporting functional food development aligned with sports nutrition