Eco-Friendly Beverage Innovation: Utilizing Orange and Pineapple Byproducts for Nutrient-Rich Tea Blends

Aims: production and analysis of tea from orange rind and pineapple core, focusing on the physicochemical, phytochemical, antioxidant, and sensory properties of the tea blends Study Design: Five variations of orange rind and pineapple core powder in 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100 ratios were the experimental lots, labelled A to E, respectively, and a commercial green tea labelled sample F was used as a control. Place and Duration of Study: oranges and pineapple fruit were bought from the railway market in Makurdi, Benue state of Nigeria. a standard commercial green tea was purchased from a supermarket in Makurdi Benue State of Nigeria. Methodology: Various analytical techniques were employed to assess the tea's physicochemical properties, anti-nutrient, phytochemical content and antioxidant capacity. Sensory evaluations were also conducted to gauge consumer acceptance and preference. Results: The physicochemical properties of the tea ranged from pH (4.7-5.6), TTA (0.62-1.00%), TSS (8.45-10.47 °Brix), Brix/acidity ratio (6.27-13.69). The anti-nutrient content ranged as follows: alkaloids (0.083-0.113%), oxalates (0.032-0.048%), phytates (0.001-0.003%), and tannins (0.0005-0.0124%). The phytochemical content was as follows: total flavonoids (5.45-7.61 mgQE/g), total phenols (1.36-3.98 mgGAE/g). The samples also demonstrated significant antioxidant activity as follows; FRAP (2.23-8.79 mgAAE/g), H2O2 scavenging ability (4.23-10.11%). Importantly, sensory results showed that all the herbal tea samples were well-received and accepted by the panellists, indicating their potential in the market. Conclusion: The tea samples produced demonstrated great potential for its use as a functional beverage and as a substitute for other tea brands, given its improved functional characteristics. This study explored the potential applications of orange and pineapple by-products in sustainable product development.