This study indicate the importance of some wild medicinal plants such as milk thistle seed and chicory seed. Therefore , chemical characteristies such as crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamin C and minerals contents were determined.
Also ,the antioxidative properties such as phenolic compounds and flavonoid compounds and scavenging activity on DPPH free radicals were also determined. Moreover ,the possibility to use these seeds in biscuit production, where the utilization of milk thistle seed flour and chicory seed flour as replacers of wheat flour at different levels (5, 10, and 15%) to prepare biscuits rich in protein and minerals, as well as organoleptic evaluation of prepared biscuits and firmness values were also investigated.
Results indicated that milk thistle seed and chicory seed have high amount of protein, ether extract, crude fiber, minerals content, vitamin C, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds (antioxidants) which, could be used as alternative natural source for synthetic antioxidants in industry.. The major unsaturated fatty acids in milk thistle seed and chicory seed oil are oleic and linoleic. The essential and nonessential amino acids are more abundant in milk thistle seed and chicory seed protein.
Sensory evaluation of the obtained products indicated that successful replacement was 10% of both seeds . So , it could be recommended to use the investigated plant seeds in biscuit production for its nutritional concept and antioxidative effects.
For these reasons, we must take in consideration to cultivate these plants on a large scale to take their advantages of their therapeutic and nutritional .