With the increasing demand for healthier and functional food products, the development of nutritious bakery items using locally available ingredients has become significant. This study aimed to develop sweet potato cupcakes fortified with moringa (Moringa oleifera) and bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) leaves as a healthier alternative to conventional cupcakes made from commonly used flour. Specifically, the study sought to formulate and determine the most preferred cupcake formulation through purposive sampling and laboratory testing in terms of microbial analysis, proximate analysis, and nutritional content; evaluate the product’s acceptability in terms of aroma, appearance, taste, and texture; and develop a promotional flyer for the product. The study utilized a developmental-descriptive research design. The 9-point Hedonic Scale developed by Peryam et al. (1957) and the 5-point Food Tasting Scorecard by Ackbarali et al. (2013) were employed to assess both expert evaluation and consumer acceptability. The 5-point Food Tasting Scorecard was used to determine the most preferred formulation, while the 9-point Hedonic Scale measured consumer acceptability. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze and interpret the gathered data. Findings revealed that the formulation containing 10% moringa and 5% bitter gourd leaves obtained the highest preference rating from experts and was interpreted as highly preferred. Consumer evaluation further showed that both younger and older respondents rated the sweet potato cupcakes as very much acceptable in terms of aroma, appearance, taste, and texture. Based on the findings, the study concluded that sweet potato cupcakes fortified with moringa and bitter gourd leaves have strong potential for commercialization and may serve as a viable source of livelihood and economic opportunity for educational institutions and local communities through extension services and technology transfer initiatives.

This study investigated the production of bioethanol from selected agricultural residues rice husk, corn cob, and sugarcane bagasse with emphasis on yield performance and physicochemical characterization. The biomass samples (500 g each) were subjected to acid hydrolysis using 5% H₂SO₄ to break down lignocellulosic structures into fermentable sugars, followed by fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ethanol was recovered through distillation, and all experiments were conducted in triplicate to ensure accuracy and reproducibility. The results showed that sugarcane bagasse produced the highest bioethanol yield (7.8% ± 0.26), followed by corn cob (6.8% ± 0.20), and rice husk (6.5% ± 0.20), indicating superior fermentable sugar availability in sugarcane bagasse. Proximate analysis revealed low moisture content across samples, with sugarcane bagasse exhibiting the lowest value (6.1%). Volatile matter was high in all feedstocks (88.3–92.8%), while ash content remained minimal, confirming their suitability for bioenergy conversion. Compositional analysis indicated cellulose contents ranging from 30–45%, hemicellulose from 18–32%, and lignin from 15–28%, highlighting their potential as lignocellulosic feedstocks.Physicochemical characterization of the produced bioethanol confirmed fuel quality suitability. Density ranged from 0.787 to 0.791 g/cm³, pH from 5.2 to 6.0, viscosity from 1.16 to 1.20 cP, and flash point from 12 to 14 °C. Calorific values increased from 26.8 to 28.5 kJ/g, while ethanol purity ranged from 85% to 94%, with sugarcane bagasse showing the highest quality parameters.Overall, the study demonstrates that agricultural residues, particularly sugarcane bagasse, are promising feedstocks for sustainable bioethanol production, offering a viable pathway for renewable energy development, waste valorization, and environmental sustainability.