Terminalia Prunioides pods herbal tea: Antioxidant activity, proximate, and metal content analysis.

Abstract

Growth in the demand for herbal teas has led to an increase in their research and commercial activities. In this study, the quantitative assessment of Motsiara (Terminalia prunioides) pods herbal tea was performed by determining antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, proximate and metal content. The studied extracts had a significant amount of phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The proximate analysis of ash, moisture, fat, crude fiber, protein, and carbohydrates gave results within the permissible limits for plant materials and teas. For metal analysis the following elements were at permissible values: K, Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Ni, and Fe, while As, Cu, Cr, Co, Zn, and Pb were found at higher values. The preliminary data shows that T. prunioides pods are a potential source of natural antioxidants and minerals that can be useful in herbal tea formulations.