Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University -Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Agricultural Biochemistry

This study was undertaken to create a healthy nutritive biscuit which can be considered as valuable source of non-heme iron in diet by fortifying the biscuit recipe with thyme to improve iron status in rats. The results showed that control (+ve) rat group showed a significant decrease in hemoglobin (12.69g/dl), hematocrit (39.07g/dl) & urea (25.07mg/dl). Moreover, it showed a significant increase in total cholesterol (97.04mg/dl) compared with control (-ve) group. Thyme 3% biscuits rat group showed a significant decrease in hemoglobin (10.67g/dl), hematocrit (32.03g/dl), urea (20.61mg/dl), total cholesterol (81.29mg/dl) & AST activity (69.95U/L) compared with control (-ve) group. Thyme 4.5% biscuits rat group showed a significant decrease in urea (20.86mg/dl) & total cholesterol (64.13mg/dl) and a significant increase in hemoglobin (13.87g/dl), hematocrit (41.63g/dl) & ALT activity (41.02U/L) compared with control (-ve) group. Ferrous sulfate 0.049% biscuits rat group showed a significant decrease in hemoglobin (10.81g/dl), hematocrit (32.54g/dl), urea (29.42mg/dl) & total cholesterol (66.94mg/dl) and a significant increase in ALT activity (41.27U/L) & AST activity (64.33U/L) compared with control (-ve) group. But ferrous sulfate 0.074% biscuits rat group showed a significant decrease in hemoglobin (11.33g/dl), hematocrit (33.99g/dl), urea (26.24mg/dl), total cholesterol (69.19mg/dl), ALT activity (26.33U/L) & AST activity (77.33U/L), compared with control (-ve) group. It could be concluded that thyme can be used as a safe source of iron in producing biscuits to overcome iron deficiency anemia

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