Effect of brewing conditions on flavonoid, phenolics, anthocyanins and antioxidant contents in hibiscus tea infusion

The hibiscus flowers are cherished for its high aesthetic value and in India it is one of the popular flower cultivated in almost every households due to its religious significance. Besides its hardy nature and wider adaptability in differ agro-climatic conditions. The hibiscus flower has been historically used in Ayurveda and Unani system to cure various ailments. Presently, the hibiscus flowers are being used in various value added products. Therefore, in the present investigation efforts to study variations in secondary metabolites from hibiscus petal tea infusions caused due to drying temperature ( 50ºC, 60ºC and 70ºC), quantity used (1.0 g, 1.5g and 2.0 g) and dipping duration (90 sec, 120 sec and 180 sec). The treatment combination of 60ºC drying temperature, 2 g quantity used and 120 seconds dipping duration obtained as optimized combination of selected independent variables which gave infused tea with high amount of bioactive compounds like total phenols content ( 75.65 mg GAE/g), total flavonoids content (64.73 mg/g catechin), total anthocyanins content (91.54 mg/l), antioxidant activity (88.38% and 0.37 µmol TE/g) along with superior aroma, taste and good colour retention up to 90 days of storage duration.