DETERMINATION OF THE POTENTIAL OF KAMIAS (AVERRHOA BILIMBI) FLOWERS FOR TEA DEVELOPMENT

Baby Richard R. Navarro, Jessamine Beatriz P. Oña

Abstract: Three methods of drying, namely: sun drying, freeze drying, and cabinet drying, were applied to Kamias leaves (Averrhoa bilimbi), a traditional herbal medicine.The leaves were then made into tea and its acceptability was tested through sensory evaluation. Several tests were also applied to determine the potential of kamiasas a tea. These tests include phenolic content determination, radical scavenging activity determination, and reducing power assay. After the evaluation of sensory attributes of kamias flower teas from three drying methods, the sun-dried kamias flower tea received the highest score in all attributes compared to the cabinet- and freeze-dried kamias flower teas. The sun-dried kamiasflower tea was compared with rose flower tea based on their sensory properties and antioxidant activities. For the sensory evaluation, the results showed that kamias flower teamay have had weaker aroma than rose, but their general acceptability attribute had equal scores.Chemical analyses for antioxidant activity such as DPPH radical scavenging activities, total phenolic and flavonoid contents determination, and reducing power assay, were conducted on sun-dried kamias and rose flower teas. Kamias flower tea had higher phenolic and flavonoid contents and stronger reducing power compared to rose flower tea, but rose flower tea had higher radical scavenging activity than kamias flower. This suggested that kamiasflower tea had more reducing than scavenging antioxidants. Nevertheless, both flowers were found to have antioxidant activities.The results from sensory evaluation and chemical analyses proved that kamias flowers can be used in flower tea development since it contained antioxidants and was equally acceptable as rose flower tea.

Keywords: Flower tea, Tea, Herbal medicine and Kamias

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2017.0611012