Antioxidant Capacity and Physicochemical Characteristics of Carbonated Erica Arborea Tea Beverage

Abstract

The current study was aimed to generate an innovative tea beverage which has water infusion of Erica arborea. Dehydrated Erica arborea leaves were extracted in boiling water and the solution was brix value-balanced to 8° with sucrose, acid, natural lemon flavor, and antimicrobial agents. Following the blending of additives, carbonation was applied. Besides some physicochemical parameters, total phenolics, bioaccessibility of total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and bioaccessible antioxidants with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity assay (CUPRAC) methods were also investigated. The green- and yellow-tinted beverage was especially rich in potassium and calcium. The total phenolics and bioaccessible phenolics of the beverage were identified as 174.06 ± 24.53 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE) 100 mL−1 and 96.07 ± 3.96 mg GAE 100 mL−1, correspondingly. Antioxidant capacity was 27.20 ± 1.09 μmol trolox mL−1, and the bioaccessible antioxidant capacity was 0.17 ± 0.02 μmol trolox mL−1 in DPPH. Measured antioxidant capacity and bioaccessible antioxidant capacity with other assays were 22.41 ± 2.49 and 3.09 ± 0.44 μmol trolox mL−1 for FRAP; 21.09 ± 1.65 and 0.02 ± 0.00 μmol trolox mL−1 for CUPRAC. In addition to its nutritional and functional features, Erica arborea tea beverage is preferred in accordance with the panelists’ sensorial decision.