Antioxidative and Sensory Properties of Tea Made from Jambolan (Syzygium cumini) Fruit Peel

Abstract

ambolan fruit peel contains anthocyanin with purple-dark color. Jambolan fruit peel could be processed to become tea by a simple drying process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of drying process both sun and oven drying to produce tea of jambolan fruit peel on the anthocyanin content, phenolic content, brewing efficiency, antioxidant activity, and hedonic-sensory property of tea. Jambolan fruit peel was dried using sun and oven drying at temperatures of 50 and 60oC. Jambolan fruit peel tea were extracted anthocyanin/polyphenol compounds using0.1% HCl-methanol or brewed using hot water of 98oC by addition sucrose and citric acid. The tea products was determined anthocyanin and polyphenol contents, antioxidant activity by using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl)method, FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), hydroxyl radical (OH•), and sensory characteristic. The results showed that drying temperature significantly affected content of anthocyanin and polyphenol, antioxidant activity, and sensory preference of jambolan fruit peel tea. The drying process using oven at temperature 50oC resulted better characteristic of tea with higher anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities than drying process of tea using sun drying and oven at temperature 60oC. The panelists most preferred tea made by oven drying at temperature 50oC based on the highest sensory score of color, aroma, taste, and overall attributes (score 3.12 - 4.28, moderate to like). Tea of jambolan fruit peel could be developed as functional food with high anthocyanin and antioxidant properties.