Impact of Herbal Mixed Tisanes on Antioxidant Property and Sensory Emotion of Relaxation and Calmness

Traditional tisanes have gained more interest as functional dietary sources of antioxidants and represent a class of bioactive compounds. This research aimed to develop mixed herbal tisanes with high antioxidant activity and impact on consumer acceptance and emotions (relaxation and calmness). The study explored the antioxidant properties of five herbal mixtures; lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.), mimosa (Mimosa pudica Linn.), stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.) and rose (Rosa damascene). The analysis of raw materials found stevia exhibited the highest total phenolic content (768.92±30.19 µmol GE/100g) and highest nitric oxide scavenging (54.63±1.37%), followed by chamomile and mimosa. Sensory emotions, measured on a 5-point scale, indicated moderate to high levels of relaxation (3.94±0.69) and calmness (3.62±0.67). The mixture design employed varying proportions of three herbs: lavender (10-30%), mimosa (10-35%), and stevia (5-20%), with chamomile (30%) and rose (20%) as fixed components.  Regression models demonstrated that various formulations of the herbs significantly affected consumer acceptance, calmness emotion and total flavonoid content (p<0.05). The optimized formulation of 23% lavender, 10% mimosa, and 17% stevia exhibited high consumer acceptance, emotions and antioxidant activities. The optimized herbal tea was analyzed for amino acid profile, and contained phenylalanine (86.13±0.08 µg/mL), tyrosine (7.67±0.04 µg/mL), serine (13.47±0.02 µg/mL), glutamic acid (8.36±0.21 µg/mL), all of which contributed to mood regulation and calmness. The phenolic compounds identified in tisanes were as follows; chlorogenic acid, catechin, ferulic acid, myricetin, and quercetin at 2967.66±46.19; 2089.45±0.68, 1025.35±1.87, 987.06±19.16, and 470.69±0.98 (µg/g), respectively, which may support relaxation and mental well-being. These findings highlight the promising role of herbal tisanes as a natural, functional beverage for oxidative stress reduction and emotional balance, with potential applications in the health and wellness industries.