Prepared at different brewing temperatures Echinacea purpurea L. and Matricaria chamomilla L. herbal tea extracts investigation of some bioactive activities

In this study, some bioactive properties of plant extracts of commercial herbal teas produced from echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), grown in Afyonkarahisar, Konya, Balıkesir, Edirne and Isparta locations and medicinal chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), grown in Afyonkarahisar, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, Manisa, Tekirdağ locations, plant samples by shade drying were investigated. The herbal tea extracts were prepared by brewing for 5 minutes in water at 65ºC and 85ºC. In this context, primarily physical analyzes (moisture determination [echinacea: 10.99-21.96% and medicinal chamomile: 11.43-13.44], ash determination [echinacea: 7.20-11.60% and medicinal chamomile: 8.67-10.80%]) were carried out on the raw herbal materials. The changes of physical analysis findings of herbal tea extracts exposed to two different brewing temperatures (water soluble dry matter content [echinacea: 0.65-1.63 and medicinal chamomile: 0.63-1.42], color determination [echinacea: L* value 24.28-43.88 a* value 3.11-9.76 b* value 4.26-17.58 and medicinal chamomile: L* value 38.85-50.91 a* value 1.44-2.76 b* value 1.66-15.06]) and change of chemical analysis results (pH [echinacea: 6.46-7.27 and medicinal chamomile: 6.26-6.97], total acidity value [echinacea: 0.006-0.029 and medicinal chamomile: 0.016-0.054 mg citric acid 100mL-1], ascorbic acid content [echinacea: 6.50-7.99 and medicinal chamomile: 5.61-7.37 mg ascorbic acid 100mL-1], total phenolic matter content [echinacea: 24.62-87.74 and medicinal chamomile: 33.05-71.32 mg GAE 100mL-1], total flavonoids [echinacea: 313.07-784.02 and medicinal chamomile: 221.88-535.69 mg cathechin 100mL-1], antioxidant activity determinations as DPPH test [echinacea: 9.10-74.83% and medicinal chamomile: 7.49-57.62%] and ABTS test [echinacea: 19.32-53.24%{510.13 -741.38 µg trolox E 100mL-1} and medicinal chamomile: 40.59-64.18%{435.54-596.38 µg trolox ED 100mL-1}] were determined. While the increase in the brewing temperature decreased the color and the ascorbic acid values of the tea it also increased the total phenolic and flavonoid values of the samples. Sensory analysis of herbal tea samples was carried out as multiple comparison test and hedonic scale test. The results of the sensory analysis showed that for echinacea extracts, those obtained at 65°C brewing temperature and for medicinal chamomile extracts, those obtained at 85°C were preferred. Statistically significant (p<0,05) differences were found between locations and treatments (brewing temperatures) for bioactive parameters in all tea extract samples. The results showed that echinacea and medicinal chamomile have a rich content of some essential bioactive components (total phenols and flavonoids) that can be used for as a nutraceutical food source and medicinal purposes especially on the basis of physician advice.