Antioxidant Properties of Thai Traditional Herbal Teas

• Main Authors: Pratchaya Tipduangta, Jakaphun Julsrigival, Kritsaya Chaithatwatthana, Nusrin Pongterdsak, Pramote Tipduangta, Sunee Chansakaow
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
• Series: Beverages
• Subjects: antioxidant; herbal tea; blended tea; Thai traditional medicine; satisfaction test
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/5/3/44

Recipes for Thai traditional herbal teas have been formulated based on Thai traditional medicine, which tries to achieve a balance of the body&#8217;s elements (fire, water, wind and earth) in each season. This study aims to assess the benefits of Thai traditional herbal teas through evaluating their antioxidant properties and measuring the satisfaction levels of healthy volunteers. Antioxidant activity tests performed on 11 tea recipes and on green tea (positive control) included 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), a radical scavenging assay and a 2,2&#8217;-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay. In addition, total phenolic contents were determined using a Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Tests of satisfaction were performed on volunteer subjects aged between 18 and 30 years old, using the criteria of color, flavor, taste and overall satisfaction. Among the 11 tea recipes tested, the summer recipe 1 containing <i>Aegle marmelos</i> (L.) Correa, <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i> (Bert.) Bertoni, <i>Pandanus amaryllifolius</i> Roxb. and <i>Morus alba</i> L. demonstrated the most promising antioxidant properties (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05) and a phenolic content (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05), which was comparable to green tea. Furthermore, it got the highest satisfaction scores in every assessed category. Therefore, this study shows that Thai traditional herbal teas, developed based on the concepts of Thai traditional medicine, could be a good choice for people looking for health-promoting beverages.