Replacing sucrose with safe natural intense sweeteners has importance in health concerns as a way to produce healthy foods with low caloric value. The present study has been carried out to utilize glycyrrhizin and licorice extract (LE) from Glycyrrhiza glabra L as a substitute of sucrose for sweetening toffee and cake preparation. Sensory attributes of the produced products (toffee and cakes) were evaluated and its biological effects on the body weight, organ relative weight, hematological and biochemical parameters and enzyme activities were studied in vivo. The results indicated that toffee prepared from replacing sugar with glycyrrhizin at 50:50 ratio (750 mg/100 g) showed the highest sensory over all acceptability scores. Replacing 25% glucose syrup with licorice extract (1.37 g /100 g) gave the higher score of sweetness, flavour, overall acceptability and absence of bitterness comparable to those prepared using increase the level of licorice extract. Cakes sweetened with 250 mg glycyrrhizin as 50% sugar replacer had no significant effect on the organoleptic properties but reduced their caloric value. We investigated biological impacts of young male rats fed with low and high doses of glycyrrhizin or licorice extract for 60 days. The results showed glycyrrhizin treated group significantly (P< 0.05) decreased feed intake with insignificant reduction in body weights gain (%) and insignificant increases in feed efficiency ratio as compared to control group but licorice extract treated group showed insignificant increase in body weight gain and feed efficiency ratio compared with the control group. Treatment with glycyrrhizin or licorice extract caused significant reduction in triglycerides (TG), with insignificant increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and decrease alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and acid phosphatase (ACP) values compared to control groups. Histopathological investigation of liver and kidney tissues of glycyrrhizin treated rats showed completely normal structure with regular arrangement of cell when compared with control group.

Nabaq (Zizyphus spina-christi) has various functional and technology properties, which can be used as a natural source of therapeutic functional compounds. The physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activities, of the pulp and seeds of Nabaq fruit from Egypt and its application in some functional products were investigated. The results revealed that the dehydrate seeds contain high contents of crude protein (9.64%), and ether crude extract (13.95%), while, dehydrate pulp had high content of total carbohydrates (90.94%). The carbohydrate fractions were found to be ranged from 4.05 to 16.61% starch, 28.87 to 43.52% reducing sugars, 9.72 to 27.19%, sucrose, and 4.5 to 18.45% glucose in seeds and pulp, respectively. The Nakaq pulp was a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and minerals especially Zn which where realized approximately 106.5% of daily requirements. The pulp was also characterized by higher total phenolics (46.62 mg/g) and flavonoids (165.68 mg/100g) than the seed which had IC50 values 13.88 mg/ ml for 36.02% inhibition of DPPH free radicals. The evaluation of sensorial attributes of biscuits products prepared with powdered Nabaq seeds as replacement of wheat flour (20%) and fat (25%) showed the highest sensory overall acceptability scores. Cookies products prepared with powdered Nabaq pulp as a substitution of 10% wheat flour showed nearly closed acceptability to the control while cakes containing 20% pulp gave the highest score of sweetness, flavour, overall acceptability. Also, pudding containing 50% Nabaq pulp had the highest overall acceptability in all sensory attributes.