DEVELOPMENT OF HERBAL TEA USING MORINGA OLIFERA, ELSHOLTZIA COMMUNIS AND ALPINIA GALANGA: A SENSORY ACCEPTANCE STUDY

The present study aims to develop an herbal tea formulation from leaves of Moringa oleifera incorporating with rhizomes of Alpinia galanga and the inflorescence of Elsholtzia communis with an insight to improve its sensory attributes and also enhancing the nutritional value. The ingredients were processed and three herbal teas HT1, HT2, HT3 were formulated by mixing them at different levels of incorporation. Acceptability trials for color, aroma, taste and overall aceptability revealed that HT2 was the most liked infusion with highest scores for color (7.8), taste (8.04) and overall acceptability (7.96). The total antioxidant capacity of HT2 was determined by the DPPH scavenging activity test by the method of Blois. The methanolic extracts of the herbal tea sample showed 76.12% radical scavenging activity whereas the sample extracted with DMSO showed a lower antioxidants capacity of 62.45%. The shelf life of the herbal tea was studied by storing in different packaging materials. HDPE Zip loc bags, tea bags (packed in paper cartons) and HDPE containers stored the product without spoilage over a period of six months. The developed herbal tea has a good market potential with significant health benefits.