Abstract
Overproduction of free radicals is implicated in the pathogenesis of most chronic diseases. Antioxidant phytochemicals thus play an important role in the prevention of these diseases. Tea is consumed across different cultures and is a major source of phenolic compounds in our diets. The aim of this study was to optimize extraction conditions for the preparation of a phytochemical-rich Moringa oleifera functional tea with antioxidant potential using Response Surface Methodology. Extraction conditions (temperature (°C), solid to liquid ratio (mg/mL) and time (min)) were optimized for recovery of total polyphenols (TP), total flavonoids (TF) and total tannins (TT). At the optimal conditions, Moringa tea was produced and its antioxidant capacity determined using the 2,2’-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and total reducing power assays. The amount of phytochemicals extracted was significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the extraction variables and their interactions in some cases. All 3 response variables (TP, TF and TT) exhibited the same optimal extraction conditions which were a solid to liquid ratio of 1/20 mg/mL, a temperature of 97°C and time of 35 min with optimal yields of 56.96, 34.66 and 3.53 mg/100 mL for TP, TF and TT respectively. Moringa olifera functional tea prepared at these optimal conditions was able to inhibit 81% of free radical using the DPPH assay, slightly higher than ascorbic acid (77%) used as reference; and had a reducing potential of 1.75 g Ascorbic Acid Equivalence/100 g DM. The tea could thus be considered an antioxidant rich tea for use in the prevention of chronic diseases.
Highlights
The rising incidence of degenerative diseases coupled with the fact that consumers have become more aware of the relationship between food and health has increased the demand for functional foods
Overproduction of free radicals or oxidant species is implicated in the pathogenesis of most chronic diseases
The experimental data was fitted to a second order polynomial equation (Equation 1), and regression coefficients for the intercept, linear, quadratic and interaction terms of the model were analyzed statistically for variation using analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Summary
The rising incidence of degenerative diseases coupled with the fact that consumers have become more aware of the relationship between food and health has increased the demand for functional foods. Antioxidant phytochemicals can play an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases [1] Plants with their rich bioactive compounds content (polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, carotenoids) with antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties beneficial in the fight against these diseases have received growing attention over the years for the production of functional foods to help fight these diseases [1,2,3]. Its leaves have been shown to possess antioxidant [4,5], cholesterol and lipid lowering [6], anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory [7] and anti-diabetic [8,9] properties These properties are the result of the richness of this plant in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols (flavonoids, saponins, and tannins), carotenoids and Vitamin C [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
