DEVELOPMENT OF BEVERAGES WITH HIGH ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY

Abstract

The article presents developed and investigated variants of sensory-appealing beverages containing high level of total phenols and having potentially high antioxidant effect. Concentrated fruit juices and herbs (tea and dried elderberries) were selected as raw materials. The study was implemented in three stages: development of sensory-accepted herbal extracts and fruit beverages - characterized as sources of phenols, development of fruit-herbal beverages based on formulas of samples of selected fruit products, determination of total phenols, antioxidant capacity and sensory properties of newly developed fresh compositions. It was found that total phenolic compounds of fruit-tea beverages significantly exceed those of their fruit analogues with the exception of red grape juice. Fruit-tea beverages and red grape juice were recognized among all tested products as demonstrating comparable and the highest antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant capacity of the analyzed fruit and fruit-herbal drinks correlated with their total phenolic content, which could be taken as the main characteristic of the antioxidant properties of products declared as functional. Fruit and mixed drinks were classified according to both these characteristics. Total phenolic compounds, antioxidant and sensory properties of the developed fruit-herbal drinks did not change significantly during storage for six months.