Functionality of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) Blends – Effects of Spice Concentration on Composition, Antioxidant Profile, Microbiological and Cup Quality

Abstract

Due to its functional advantages in addition to its flavor, tea's product diversification has grown in popularity and customer acceptability. In this study, different green tea blends with different amounts of cinnamon, lemon, and ginger (0–30%) were developed. The tea blends' compositional analysis, antioxidant, microbiological, and sensory profiles were assessed.  The tea with cinnamon mix had a catechin mean value of 9.7%; the tea with ginger blend had a catechin mean value of 7.4%; and the tea with lemon blend had a catechin mean value of 8.0%.  For lemon/tea at 15% and 98.9g AAE/100g for cinnamon/tea at 20%, the best DPPH values were attained. For ginger/tea, cinnamon/tea, the total polyphenol value peaked at 19.02 g GAE/100g (20%), 18.62 g GAE/100g (20%), and 18.37 g GAE/100g (15%), respectively. According to microbiological analysis, no microbial growth was found in any of the tests run. The cup quality results showed that the panelists generally approved of the lemon/tea, which had a mean of 7.3 at a 15% inclusion level.