FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NUTRACEUTICAL NECTAR BASED ON ORANGE JUICE AND GREEN TEA

Green tea represents a popular beverage worldwide due to its high polyphenol and antioxidant activity. It is commonly brewed along with vitamin C source which plays a positive role in maintaining its antioxidant potential. Orange juice can serve as an excellent medium for supplementation of green tea for the formulation of nutraceutical nectar by enriching drink with vitamin C and overcoming the astringent taste of tea. Therefore, the present study was planned to develop nutraceutical nectar by blending green tea with orange juice at 60, 50, 40 and 30% levels while orange juice and green tea served as control. The formulations were analyzed for their sensory as well as nutritional properties. Among all the samples, the highest values for ash content, ascorbic acid content, titratable acidity, and TSS were recorded for orange juice. Green tea displayed the highest values for total flavonoid content, antioxidant activity (FRAP, DPPH, TEAC), moisture content and pH compared to other blends. Blending green tea with an increasing concentration of orange juice resulted in a reduction in flavonoid content and antioxidant activity while ascorbic acid and ash content increased in the blends. Color and titratable acidity improved with the corresponding increase in orange juice levels. It was concluded by the overall sensory and nutritional properties that the formulation containing an equal proportion of green tea and orange juice was most acceptable.