RESEARCH ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS BASED ON BLACK TEA

Abstract

Consumers are increasingly demanding functional foods on the market due to growing awareness of the close link between diet and health. The development of functional foods has made considerable progress in recent years, and interest in this type of food is growing because, in addition to their nutritional value, they also have beneficial effects on human health.
Black tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Its chemical composition is notable for its high content of polyphenolic compounds, such as theaflavins and thearubigins, as well as amino acids, alkaloids (especially caffeine), and essential minerals. The main redox processes that take place are primarily the oxidation of catechins—phenolic compounds present in fresh leaves—which lead to the formation of thearubigins and theaflavins. Experiment has demonstrated a clear correlation between the activity of some natural and synthetic sweeteners and the change in the concentrations of oxidized and reduced forms of some redox agents. The aim of the research is to identify the changes produced in the specific redox processes of these supplements. The best experimental variant was the one that produced the fewest redox imbalances. Two optimal variants were selected for both consumers without health problems and consumers with health problems, such as diabetics.