Investigation of consumption of honey and pollen together with green tea

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is a tea species originated in China and has common production in many countries in Asia. This plant species has polyphenols with natural antioxidant properties which are very beneficial for human health in its structure. In addition, it has been reported that antioxidant substances, which are available, are good for the health problems caused by smoking. The aim of the study was to develop a likable product made with green tea, honey, and pollen which are also rich in natural antioxidants. The ratio of honey to pollen and percentage of non-tea substances constitute 2 factors of design. The results were compared with untreated green tea after the sensory analysis, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity determination, ascorbic acid determination, and sugar analysis were carried out. The optimization of the final product was carried out by considering the highest total phenolic content, total antioxidant, and overall sensory evaluation. The optimized conditions were 4:1 honey to pollen ratio and 6% total concentration of non-tea substances with TPC of 578.674 mg GAE/L sample and TAC of 94.463 DPPH•IC50. Optimum score determined for sensorial evaluation was 3.8.