Development of Tea Blend of Lemongrass, Ginger, Cinnamon, Mintleaves and Doum Fruit

ABSTRACT Tea consumption has gained popularity worldwide due to its potential health benefits. Herbal teas, in particular, have been recognized for their medicinal properties and are often consumed for their therapeutic effects. Lemon grass, mint leaf, lemon, ginger, and dome fruit are rich in bioactive compounds, including phenolics and flavonoids, which are known to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to develop a caffeine-free tea blend from lemon grass, mint leaf, lemon, ginger, and dome fruit. Three samples were formulated and subjected to sensory evaluation, including a commercial tea as a fourth sample, using a 5-point hedonic scale. From this evaluation, two best-formulated samples were selected and subjected to physico-chemical analysis and phytochemical properties Physico-chemical analysis revealed moisture content ranging from 8.37% to 8.50%, soluble solids content from 0.93°Brix to 1.03°Brix, ash content from 6.24% to 8.92%, and acid-insoluble ash content of 0.02% for Sample A and . Phytochemical analysis showed total phenolic content (TPC) ranging from 9.70 ± 1.005 mg/100g to 12.77 ± 0.615 mg/100g and total flavonoid content (TFC) ranging from 19.25 ± 1.065 mg/100g to 36.95 ± 2.415 mg/100g. The DPPH radical scavenging activity showed varying levels of antioxidant potential, with mean values of 33.27 ± 28.58% for Sample A and 32.415 ± 28.04% for Sample C. Sensory evaluation revealed that Sample A and Sample C were the most preferred among the formulated samples, which have the highest overall acceptability score. The results suggest that the developed tea blends have potential for commercial production and consumption due to their physico-chemical and phytochemical properties.