Abstract: This study investigated the effects of incorporating four dietary functional ingredients, Hedyotis Diffusae Herba (HDH), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP), Ulva prolifera‌, and jasmine, into biscuit on its nutritional properties, sensory quality, and digestive characteristics. The results showed that HDH enhanced gluten compactness, conferring biscuit higher hardness (1 250.86 ± 94.03) g and chewiness (0.79 ± 0.12) mJ, and the hardness of biscuit incorporated with U. prolifera or jasmine was significantly lower than that of biscuit incorporated with HDH (P < 0.05). In terms of nutritional properties, jasmine-incorporated biscuit exhibited significantly higher levels of polyphenols, (19.78 ± 0.04) mg/g, and flavonoids, (43.01 ± 0.76) mg/g, as well as greater 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, (34.29 ± 1.14) μmol/g, and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) cation radical cation scavenging activity, (39.83 ± 0.06) μmol/g, compared with commercial and control biscuits (P < 0.05). Regarding digestive properties, commercial biscuit showed the highest content of rapidly digestible starch, resulting in an expected glycemic index (eGI) value of 86.60 ± 3.31, whereas jasmine-incorporated biscuit exhibited the lowest content of rapidly digestible starch, (0.26 ± 0.25)%, and consequently the lowest eGI value of 75.46 ± 0.82. In terms of flavor and sensory characteristics, HDH-incorporated biscuit had distinct advantages in taste, texture, aroma, and structure. Analysis of volatile components indicated that alcohols, esters, and terpenes were the core flavor substances of biscuit, with hydrocarbons contributing less to the flavor profile. The high content of D-limonene in CRP-added biscuit contributed to its characteristic citrus-like aroma, while the presence of decyl acetate in U. prolifera‌-incorporated biscuit conferred it a unique flavor. Jasmine-incorporated biscuit, enriched with aroma substances, exhibited a good balance of floral and milky aromas, with a milder sweetness. In conclusion, the incorporation of dietary functional ingredients can balance the sensory characteristics and processing adaptability of biscuit, achieving an organic unity of “nourishment” and “palatability”, providing consumers with diverse healthy options.

Key words: Hedyotis Diffusae Herba; biscuit; nutritional quality; flavor; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry