Comparison of total phenol content and antioxidant activity of herbal infusions with added Stevia reabaudiana Bertoni

Abstract Antioxidant capacity (AC) was determined by the ABTS method and DPPH, and total phenol content (TPC) in dehydrated plant material, in infusions and in residues (plant material after preparing the infusion) of white, black, red, green, spearmint, stevia, lemon grass and chamomile teas to which stevia leaves were added or not added; addition of processed stevia powder was also tested. Three independent experiments were set up: with dehydrated plant material, with infusions and with residues. For the case of dehydrated plant material, white tea had the highest TPC (10813.5 mg GAE/100g) and AC by the ABTS method (1183.3 µM TE/g) and DPPH method (1525.0 µM TE/g). In infusions, black tea had higher TPC (180.82 µg GAE/ml) and AC by the methods ABTS and DPPH (0.6114 and 2.5983 µM TE/ml, respectively). In residues, TPC was higher in white tea, while green tea had the highest AC values. AC of dehydrated plant material increased when stevia leaves were added, according to the DPPH and ABTS methods, but not in residues by ABTS. Addition of stevia leaves in infusions increased AC in white, lemon grass, chamomile and stevia teas by the ABTS method and in spearmint, black, red, and green teas with the DPPH method.