Formulation, Organoleptic Evaluation, and Acceptability of Various Teas from Underutilized Nutritious Herbs Compared with Marketed Chinese and Yellow Lipton Tea

Herbal teas are nutrient, antioxidant, and hydration-rich brews made from herbs and spices and taken for various purposes. The objective of this study was to formulate tea from clove (Syzygium aromaticum), leaves of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), guava (Psidium guajava), and moringa (Moringa oleifera), as well as compared with Chinese and yellow Lipton Tea. The samples were analyzed for comparative sensory analysis using the 7 points hedonic scale. The sensory evaluation result demonstrated that the color of the clove tea sample (5.87) was most acceptable by participants, while the lemongrass tea (4.46) sample was least acceptable amongst all the tea samples. The clove remained the most accepted tea for aroma (6.07), taste (5.92), texture (5.76), general appearance (5.74), and general acceptability (5.93), in 7 points hedonic scale. However, all tea samples were had significant acceptable scores above average (p <0.05). Owing to the above results, these herbs can be successfully used to produce tea of relatively good quality to encourage herbs' local consumption and stay healthy.


INTRODUCTION Abstract
Herbal teas are nutrient, antioxidant, and hydration-rich brews made from herbs and spices and taken for various purposes. The objective of this study was to formulate tea from clove (Syzygium aromaticum), leaves of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), guava (Psidium guajava), and moringa (Moringa oleifera), as well as compared with Chinese and yellow Lipton Tea. The samples were analyzed for comparative sensory analysis using the 7 points hedonic scale. The sensory evaluation result demonstrated that the color of the clove tea sample (5.87) was most acceptable by participants, while the lemongrass tea (4.46) sample was least acceptable amongst all the tea samples. The clove remained the most accepted tea for aroma (6.07), taste (5.92), texture (5.76), general appearance (5.74), and general acceptability (5.93), in 7 points hedonic scale. However, all tea samples were had significant acceptable scores above average (p <0.05). Owing to the above results, these herbs can be successfully used to produce tea of relatively good quality to encourage herbs' local consumption and stay healthy.
substances have placed herbs and teas as the lead for scientific investigations with the view of finding lasting solutions in the prevention, treatment, and management of various diseases like cancer, respiratory diseases, and many more 6,7 . This is especially beneficial when consumed regularly as food and not necessarily as medicine. The reason for selecting the herbs such as clove, lemongrass, guava, and moringa in this study is the plethora of therapeutic benefits they possess from the literature 6-9 though commonly underutilized, whereas Chinese and Lipton's tea is consumed by people globally 6 . These are popular and preferred brands by consumers; thus, they were used as control. Therefore, the current research's main aim was to evaluate the formulated tea samples' sensorial parameters and compare them with the commercially available Chinese and Lipton tea. This study represented the first evaluation of sensory properties and consumer acceptability of tea samples made from the clove.

Sample treatment
The fresh leaf samples were allowed to air dry at room temperatures in the absence of sunlight for two weeks.
All the dry samples were separately blended into a coarse chaffy powder. All the samples were kept in clean plastic bags and stored at room temperatures for use.

Tea formulation
Six tea diets were formulated from each sample (2 g) above. However, the sixth sample was a dry mixture of all the other five samples in the ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 : 1. Each dry sample was steeped in 10 mL of boiled (100°C) distilled water and allowed to stay for three minutes, after which the chaff was sieved out, and granulated sugar (2 g) was added to the filtrate (4 mL). The mixture was stirred and served for sensory analysis under hygienic conditions, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Statistical analysis
The sensory scores include general appearance, taste, aroma, color, texture, and general acceptability, were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with levels of significance determined at p <0.05. The means of the antioxidant and nutrient composition of the samples were also evaluated. The SPPS version 20 package was used for statistical analysis.

Ethical approval
Approved consent of the scorers was obtained from all respondents. The assessment is carried out according to

Color
Participants' responses on the color of the prepared tea samples showed that the clove tea sample (5.87) was most acceptable, while the lemongrass tea (4.46) sample was least acceptable amongst all the tea samples ( Table   I). There was a significant difference in scores amongst the color of the tea samples. Score and acceptability for the aroma of the tea samples increased in order of lemongrass (4.46) < guava leaves (4.5) < Lipton (4.7) < moringa (4.79) < Chinese tea (4.84) < mixture (5) < clove (5.87). According to the literature, several amino acids in tea play an important role in imparting color to the tea.
'Brightness' and 'briskness of tea were due to compounds like theaflavin and thearubigins, which affect sensory characteristics 10,11 . Table I show that clove tea had the highest mean score (6.07) as compared to control Lipton (4.7) and Chinese tea (4.66), whereas the lowest mean score was assigned to the guava leaves tea sample (4.51) by consumers. There was a significant difference in scores amongst the aroma of the tea samples. Score and acceptability for the aroma of the tea samples increased in order guava leaves (4.51) < lemongrass (4.65) < Chinese tea (4.66) < moringa (4.69) < Lipton (4.7) < mixture (4.93) < clove (6.07). As guava leaves tea samples were also the least preferred by consumers in terms of overall appearance (4.6), they remained the lowest in the aroma.

Taste
The result shows the variation in taste acceptability amongst tea samples ( Table I). There was a significant difference in scores amongst the general acceptability of the tea samples. The highest mean score was assigned to clove tea (5.92), whereas the lowest score was assigned to Chinese tea (4.47). Compared to marketed tea formulations, Lipton and Chinese tea, the clove tea sample being the highest scored, was most preferred by participants. Score and acceptability for a taste of the tea samples increased in order Chinese tea < Lipton < moringa < lemongrass < guava leaves < mixture < clove.
Constituents such as tannins, catechins, amino acids contribute to the flavor of the tea. Catechins were predominantly known to contribute to 70-75% of bitterness and astringency, whereas caffeine and tannins were responsible for astringent or pungent taste. The brothy and the sweet taste was due to amino acids 12-14 .

Texture
The clove tea sample had the highest mean score (5.76) and remained the most preferred by consumers, while the lemongrass tea sample had received the lowest mean score (4.48). Lemongrass tea sample was also least scored and preferred in general appearance (4.63) and color (4.46). There was a significant difference in scores amongst the texture of the tea samples (Table I). Score and acceptability for texture of the tea samples increased in order lemongrass (4.48) < guava leaves (4.5) < Lipton (4.64) < mixture (4.74) < moringa (4.76) < Chinese tea (4.78) < clove (5.76).

General appearance
Results show that the clove tea sample was assigned the highest mean score in general appearance (5.74), while the guava tea sample had received the lowest score (4.6), as shown in Table I. There was a significant difference in scores amongst the general appearance of the tea samples. Score and acceptability for the general appearance of the tea samples increased in order guava leaves < lemongrass < moringa < Lipton < Chinese tea < mixture < clove.

General acceptability
As expected, the clove tea sample had the highest mean score (5.93), whereas lemongrass was assigned the lowest score (4.61). There was a significant difference in scores amongst the tea samples' general acceptability (Table I).
Score and acceptability for the general appearance of the tea samples increased in order lemongrass (4.61) < guava leaves (4.85) < Lipton (4.85) < moringa (4.88) < Chinese tea (4.96) < mixture (4.96) < clove (5.93). Interestingly, both Lipton (4.85) and guava leaves (4.85) tea samples were almost equally acceptable and preferred by participants. Similar results were obtained for Chinese tea (4.96) and mixture (4.96) sample tea. The current study's primary objective was to formulate tea samples of various herbs and compare them with commercially available Lipton and Chinese tea samples.
According to the literature, this study is the first to select some of the herbs used in previous studies. The findings of this study suggest that among all the tea samples, the clove tea sample was the most accepted, preferred, and highest scored in terms of color (5.87), aroma (6.07), texture (5.76), taste (5.92), general appearance (5.74), and overall acceptability (5.93), whereas, lemongrass was least accepted, preferred, and lowest scored in color (4.46), texture (4.48), general acceptability (4.61) by consumers (Figure 2). The guava leaves tea sample also remained the least preferred by participants in terms of general appearance (4.6) and aroma (4.51). The taste of Chinese tea was disliked and least preferred (4.47) by participants. Among all the lowest preferred samples, the increasing order of dislike is as follows: guava leaves < Chinese tea < lemongrass. Surprisingly, the clove tea sample remained desirable, appealing, and most preferred by participants in all the sensory evaluation parameters (Figure 2 benefits. This will also encourage tea products and generate employment for many, culminating in economic development as tea import also reduces 20 .

CONCLUSION
Clove tea samples were the most preferred color, aroma, taste, texture, general appearance, and general acceptability. Lemongrass was the least accepted and preferred in terms of color and texture. The participant did not prefer the aroma and general appearance of guava.