Impact of steam treatment on shelf-life stability of a xanthone-rich green herbal tea (Cyclopia maculata Andrews Kies) - identifying quality changes during storage.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Steam treatment of shredded, fresh C. maculata (honeybush) plant material improves the aroma of this green herbal tea with a slight impact on color and phenolic content, but the effect on storage stability is not known.

RESULTS:

Steam-treated (60 s before drying) and untreated (control) dried plant material was stored under normal storage conditions in semi-permeable sachets at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity. Reference samples of treated (steamed) and untreated (control) material were stored at 0 °C in impermeable pouches for maximum retention of quality. The stability of the herbal tea was assessed in terms of sensory profile, phenolic composition and color over a storage period of 6 months. Normal storage conditions resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in green color, especially in steamed samples. Intensities of fruity and sweet-associated aroma attributes increased progressively during storage, while the opposite was observed for vegetal and cereal-like attributes. These changes in the aroma profile were more pronounced in untreated (control) samples. Individual phenolic content remained stable during storage.

CONCLUSIONS:

Storage of 3 to 6 months may result in a more appealing aroma profile and enhanced product quality, despite loss of green color. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

• Authors: Lara Alexander, Dalene de Beer, Magdalena Muller, Marieta van der Rijst, Elizabeth Joubert
• Journal: Journal of the science of food and agriculture (J Sci Food Agric) Vol. 99 Issue 3 Pg. 1334-1341 (Feb 2019) ISSN: 1097-0010 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 30094845 (Publication Type: Evaluation Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chemical References

• Phenols
• Steam
• Teas, Herbal
• Xanthones
• xanthone

Topics

• Cyclopia Plant (chemistry)
• Food Preservation (instrumentation, methods)
• Food Storage
• Phenols (chemistry)
• Quality Control
• Steam (analysis)
• Teas, Herbal (analysis)
• Xanthones (chemistry)