EVALUATION OF READY-TO-DRINK TEA USING ALAGAW

(Premna odorata Blanco) LEAVES

Hershey P. Canaoay
Aidenn Jeyn R. Nacion
Eowyn Perey

An investigatory project presented to the faculty of Laboratory Science High

School, College of Education, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for Research II. Prepared under the supervision of Mr.
Jason D. Braga.

INTRODUCTION

Alagaw is a small hairy shrub with leaves that have a heart shaped base and tip. It

is a tree found only in the Philippines. The flowers are greenish white that is four to five

millimeters. The fruit is round, fleshy and dark purple that is about five millimeters in

diameter (Yumul, 2006).

On the other hand, calamansi is a widely green citrus in the country. It is initially

used for its juice. The rest of its part such as seeds, pulp and peel are discarded as wastes.

The juice can be processed in nectar, a natural fruit juice to substitute the synthetic juice

drinks. The processing of these products can help increase the citrus grower’s income.

Processing will also increase the utilization of citrus (Descalso et.al., 2002).
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Ready-to-drink teas are produced using tea leaves that have had the liquids

extracted. The health benefits of tea are largely due to its high content of flavonoids –

plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants (Harvard Health Publishing, 2004).

Herbal teas can come in a wide range of tastes and flavors and make a tempting

alternative to sugary beverages or water. In addition to being delicious, some herbal teas

have health-promoting properties. In fact, herbal teas have been used as natural remedies

for a variety of ailments (Jones, 2017).

People can use alagaw leaves through decoction that can be used to prevent fever,

colds, cough, and bronchitis. The extract of leaves can be used for cleaning wounds and

bruises (Pangilinan, 2013).

Alagaw Ready-to-Drink Tea can be a benefit to everyone. Aside from having

health benefits, it will also help other people to know what alagaw is. This study can

promote livelihood to local farmers of alagaw through value addition of the produce.

Hence, the researchers choose to make a study in producing Alagaw Ready-to-Drink Tea.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Generally, this study was conducted to evaluate Ready-to-Drink Tea using

Alagaw (Premna odorata Blanco) leaves with calamansi.

Specifically, this study was conducted to answer the following questions:

1. What are the sensory properties of the produced ready-to-drink tea using alagaw

leaves in terms of:

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a. color
b. aroma
c. taste
d. aftertaste
2. What are the physico-chemical properties of alagaw ready-to-drink tea

such as:

a. TSS (Total Soluble Solids) c.TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)

b. pH

3. What is the acceptability of the ready-to-drink tea using alagaw leaves based on

the sensory evaluation test?

4. What is the consumer acceptability of ready-to-drink tea using alagaw leaves?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study was significant because alagaw has many health benefits such as:

decoction of fresh leaves for vaginal irritation, tuberculosis, fever, colds, bronchitis, fever

blisters of the lips and stomach aches, gas pains in adults and children; crushed leaves for

headaches; extract of leaves for cleaning wounds and for ticks and fleas (Pangilinan,

2013). This alagaw ready-to-drink tea was made natural and palatable due to the addition

of calamansi juice which can help many people in the prevention of colds and coughs

especially children because kids nowadays are not fond of taking herbal medicine or

drinking herbal teas. This study can promote livelihood to local farmers of alagaw

through value addition of the produce.

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SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study focused on the formulation and quality evaluation (such as total

soluble solids, pH, total dissolves solids and sensory evaluation) of alagaw (Premna

odorata B.) leaves as ready-to-drink tea and focused on the production and acceptability

in terms of sensory and physico-chemical properties. The study was limited to laboratory

scale and did not undergo on microbial analysis, nutritional composition, proximate

analysis and antioxidant content analysis.

TIME AND PLACE OF THE STUDY

This study was conducted at the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Cavite

State University, Indang, Cavite from August 2018 to February 2019.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Ade is a sweet, cold summer drink.

Antioxidant is a substance that inhibits oxidation, especially one used to counteract the

detoriation of stored food products.

Antiphlogistic is reducing inflammation of fever.

Astringent is the cause of the contraction of body tissues, typically of the skin.

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your artenes.

Casein is a family of related phosphoproteins. It is commonly found in mammalian milk.

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Catechin is a type of natural phenol and antioxidant. It is a plant of secondary

metabolite.

Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material to dissolve the

chemicals of the material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes.

Distension is an enlargement, dilation or ballooning effect.

Inflorescence is the complete flower head of a plant including stems, stalks, bracts and

flowers.

Micro analysis is the quantitative analysis of microbiological compounds using a sample

of a few milligrams.

Oolong Tea is a traditional chinese tea produced through a process including withering

the plant under strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting.

Pectoral is relating to the breast or chest.

Physico-chemical is related to chemistry that deals with physico-chemical properties of

substances.

Polyphenols are structural class of mainly natural, but also synthetic or semi-synthetic,

organic chemicals characterized by the presence of large multiples of phenol structural

units.

Sudorific is a drug that includes sweating.

Tisane is an infusion used as a beverage or for medicinal effects.

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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Alagaw (Premna odorata Blanco)

Alagaw belongs to family Verbenaceae. It is a tiny hairy tree 3 to 5 meters high.

Leaves are ovate to broadly ovate and 10 to 20 centimeters long with broad, somewhat

heart-shaped base, and pointed tip. The flowers are greenish white to nearly white, 4 to 5

millimeters long borne in terminal inflorescence. The fruit is fleshy, dark purple, rounded

and about 5 millimeters in diameter. It is a tree found only in the Philippines. It grows

wild in Mt. Banahaw which is located between the provinces of Laguna and Quezon and

in other places in the Philippines. It has been considered as a drug and decoction of the

shoots is used as a parasiticide (Yumul, 2006).

Alagaw is an endemic Philippine medicinal plant. It is popular traditional herbal

medicine used to manage phlegm,stomach ache,headache,cough and tuberculosis

patients.Bioassay guided isolation led to the identification of compounds from the

dichloromethane sub-fractions of the alagaw leaves (Aguinaldo,2014).

Alagaw is also known by a few other scientific names such as, P. curranii H.

Lam., P. oblongata Miq.var. puberula H. Lam., P. pubescens Blume. var. odorata H.

Lam., P.serratifolia Blanco and P. vestila Schauer. It has many Philippine names but is

well-known as “alagau” and “agbau” (Quisumbing,1978)

Moreover, alagaw is also called Adiyo. It is found to be very useful as medicine

for cough, fever, gas pain, headache and for vaginal irritation. Also, it is found out that

Alagaw is the best pesticide to remove the lice of infected chicken (Ferraer, 1999).
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Alagaw plant is common in thickets and secondary forests at low altitudes from

the Batan islands and Northern Luzon to Mindanao, in most islands and provinces.It is

also reported in Nepal, India to Myanmar, China, Taiwan and Australia (Quisumbing,

1978.).

Alagaw is one of the seven components of a commercialized Philippine herbal

preparation called “Pito-Pito”. Pito-Pito tea is a combination of seven blends of herbs and

plants that are well-known for their medicinal and healing properties. However,its

medicinal uses have not been scientifically proved.Solvent partitioning and

fractionization of the ethanolic crude extract of the leaves isolated two yellow amorphous

powders. The isolates were flavone aglycones which were the widespread acacetin and

the non-widespread diosmetin. These flavones were isolated from the P. odorata for the

first time ever. (Chu et. al., 2011).

A decoction of alagaw’s roots, leaves, flowers and fruits is sudorific and pectoral.

It can relieve abdominal pain or distension. The leaves are boiled in water that is used for

bathing babies. The boiled leaves are applied to the infected part of the patient’s body

(Ferraer, 1999).

Alagaw leaves are used to treat tuberculosis, phlegm, stomach ache, headache,

and cough. It is also used in wound healing, can be parasiticides, can cure tympanites,

beri-beri and heart trouble to relieve abdominal pain and dysentry.(Dianita et. al.,2017).

Aside from its uncommonly known ethnomedicinal uses, Alagaw does not

have much economic value and people cut it and replaced with plants that are

perceived to be more profitable. For this reason, even though it is a native plant, it is
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not generally cultivated and not commonly found in populated areas, but thrive in

the less accessible secondary limestone forests of the Philippines. The isolation of

bioactive and medicinal compounds from the leaves of P. odorata would provide a

scientific evidence of the medicinal properties of the plant. The validated

medicinal properties, in turn, could become the popular motivation for the plant’s

sustainable use, conservation and cultivation.(Chu et. al., 2011).

Calamansi (Citrus microcarpa)

Citrus microcarpa, the calamondin or widely known as calamansi, isa fruit tree in

the family Rutaceae native Asia. The cultivation of calamansi had spread widely through

Southeast Asia, India, Hawaii, West Indies, and Central and North America. The plant is

characterized by wing-like appendages on the leaf stacks and white or purplish flowers.

While its fruit is divided into sections with either a spongy or leathery rind with a juicy

pulp. Each fruit contains eight to twelve seeds (Descalso et.al., 2002).

Calamansi plant is a smooth and spiny tree that is three to five meters in height.

The leaflets are opaque that is four to eight centimeters long. The petioles are needle-like

or scarcely winged and about one centimeter long. The flowers are axillary, white and

short-stalked. The fruit is yellow when ripe that is 2 to 3.5 centimeters in diameter and

thin-skinned. Its pill is green to yellowish green or yellow. It contains a few seeds and is

light orange in color. It is a bit sour and very much used as flavoring for making “ade”

(Descalso et.al., 2002).

Most often, we suffer from ailments caused by infection of different

microorganism in our body, due to our immune system. Most conscious people consider
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natural method of treatment rather than chemicals. In boosting the body’s immune

system, citrus fruits are very effective having high Ascorbic Acid or vitamin C

content.Calamansi is a fruit grown all over Southeast Asia and it is very popular in the

Philippines and is called a “golden lime”. It is extremely beneficial for the body as it

eliminates the toxins that result to a faster weight loss. It is also a perfect vitamin rich in

citrus fruits that enhances your beauty and brings glow to your face (Drink Benefits,

2012).

In addition, calamansi is a tropical lime native to Southeast Asia. It belongs to the

citrofortunella species, which is a hybrid between the citrus and Fortunella genus.

Calamansi is cultivated for it is edible but incredibly sour fruit. The fruit shares same

properties to lemon and lime. Just like all citrus fruits, calamansi is loaded with Vitamin

C. It’s also traditonally used as a treatment for certain health problems. It can prevent

common colds and flu, because Vitamin C in calamansi ensures a fast recovery from viral

and bacterial infections (Knoji, 2015).

Tea

Tea is a drink that is prepared by pouring boiling water over dry leaves, herbs or

roots. It is ranked as the most popular refreshing juice drink in most countries among any

other drinks. This drink has been famous for centuries in China, England, Japan and other

countries. It is prepared by many because it has a distinct flavor and a better alternative to

coffee (Samonte et.al., 2005).

Tea is one of the most widely-consumed beverages in the world. It has a cooling,

bitter and astringent flavor. It has almost carbohydrates, fats or protein. Tea is a natural
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source of amino acid theanine, methylxanthines such as caffeine and theobromine, and

polyphenotic antioxidant catechins. It has many health benefits. There are common types

of commercial tea available in the Philippine market but all are not produced locally.

From plain black tea, oolong tea, white tea, green tea, yellow tea, red tea, and so many

more (Manaloto et.al., 2009).

Bukowsi (2000), found that five cups of tea a day can sharpens the body’s disease

defenses. A constituent in tea was found in labaratory experiments to prove the immune

system to attack the invading bacteria, viruses and fungi according to a study in the

proceedings in the National Academy of Sciences (Samonte et.al., 2005).

Moreover, tea can help people in maintaining a healthy weight.A 2011 study in

the Journal Obesity found that mice fed a high fat diet and given compounds found in

green tea gained weight at a slower rate than mice that were not fed the similar

compounds. The results from this study suggest that green tea extracts may actually

interfere with fat formation in the body. As a side note, green tea extracts should not be

confused with bottled green tea beverages that may be full of added sugar. In addition,

tea can also help fight diabetes. A 2010 study reviewing a variety of caffeinated teas

found that the caffeine in tea may help in reducing the overall chance of having a diabetes

(Kirkpatrick, 2013).

There are many health benefits of tea such as: for our heart, cancer prevention,

hypertension-reducing, leukemia-fighting, Alzheimer’s-fighting, for mental health and

for fitness and appearance. Study finds that the consumers of tea have lower blood

pressure. It can lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease. Tea can protect

cancers caused by smoking and may lower risk of some skin cancers. A green tea
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component helps kill leukemia cells. Drinking tea may delay having Alzheimer’s disease.

Tea can create a calmer but more alert state of mind and can lower the chance of having

cognitive impairment. It lowers stress hormone levels, eases irritability, headaches,

nervous tension and insomnia. Tea is calorie-free. It increases your metabolism and helps

keep your skin acne-free (Nursing Degree, 2017).

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METHODOLOGY

This chapter will present the materials and procedures that was used in producing

Alagaw Ready-to-Drink Tea.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The experimental method of research was used to evaluate the sensory qualities

and the general acceptability of ready-to-drink tea drink using alagaw leaves among

different respondents from Cavite. The researchers used completely randomized design

(CRD). The product included the following treatments:

T0 Control (no sugar) T2 With Calamansi (15 mL/L)

T1 With 100 g of refined sugar, without T3 With Calamansi (22.5 mL/L)

flavor
T4 With Calamansi (30 mL/L)

Experimental research used a systematic and scientific approach in which the

research manipulates one or a number of variables and measures of any change in other

variables. It is an objective, systematic and controlled investigation for the purpose of

predicting and controlling phenomena and examining probability and causality among

selected variables as involving the collection of data to answer questions concerning the

status of the subject of the study.

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I. INGREDIENTS

Alagaw leaves Distilled water

Calamansi Sugar

II. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Measuring spoon Casserole

Measuring cup Strainer

Gas stove Funnel

Plastic bottles

PROCEDURES

Preparation of Raw Materials

The alagaw leaves was used as the main ingredient in producing the tea. Alagaw

leaves and calamansi were washed and weighed.

Decoction

A 30 gram fresh alagaw leaves were boiled in a liter of water for 20 minutes and

was set aside to maximize the extraction of the components of the leaves. The water was

filtered using a strainer to separate the leaves.

Mixing

After straining, the decoction was mixed with ingredients that corresponds the

treatments. The treatment 0 (T0) was a pure extract of alagaw with no other ingredients

added and served as the control treatment of the study. A liter of alagaw extract was
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added with a 100 grams sugarfor treatment 1 (T1), a liter of alagaw extract, a 100 grams

of refined sugar with 15 mL of calamansi extract as treatment 2 (T2), a 100 grams of

refined sugar with 22.5 mL of calamansi extract as treatment 2 (T3) and a 100 grams of

refined sugar with 30 mL of calamansi extract as treatment 4 (T4).

Pasteurization

The mixture extract of alagaw leaves with the other ingredients that corresponds

to the treatment was pasteurized at 75˚C for 20 minutes.

Cooling

The pasteurized alagaw tea mixture was cooled for 15-20 minutes in a room

temperature.

Bottle Filling

The pasteurized alagaw tea mixture was bottled in a 350 mL bottle after cooling.

Sealing

Bottles were sealed so that it cannot be opened easily.

Storage

The sealed bottles of the Alagaw Ready-to-Drink Tea were stored inside the

refrigerator under refrigerated temperature.

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PRODUCTION OF READY-TO-DRINK TEA USING ALAGAW LEAVES

Preparation of Raw Materials

Decoction

Mixing

Pasteurizing

Cooling

Bottle Filling

Sealing

Storage

Figure 1. Process Flow for the Production of Ready-to-Drink Tea using Alagaw Leaves

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

The characteristics of tea, such as Total Soluble Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved

Solids (TDS) and pH, were determined to evaluate properties of the product and to ensure

that it is within the standard set for tea beverages.

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SENSORY EVALUATION

Sensory evaluation was carried out to determine the description and acceptability

of the product from different treatments. Samples from different treatments were

presented to ten semi-trained panelist who evaluated the product’s color, aroma, taste,

aftertaste and general acceptability. The standard procedures on sensory evaluation were

followed using the 9-point Hedonic scale.

The potential characteristics of the tea in terms of color; brown, light brown,

brownish yellow, dark yellow and light yellow. Aroma; alagaw aroma, slightly to no-

alagaw aroma,well-blended calamansi, minty and calamansi aroma and more of

calamansi aroma than alagaw. Taste; alagaw/bland taste, well-blended sweetness and

alagaw taste, well-blended sweetness, calamansi and alagaw taste, more perceptable

calamansi taste than alagaw and very perceptable calamansi taste than alagaw. Aftertaste;

very bitter, moderately bitter, bitter, slightly bitter and not bitter.

CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY

Consumer acceptability was carried out to determine the consumer acceptance

towards the produced alagaw ready-to-drink tea. It was presented to 100 random

consumers from Cavite from different age groups. Age groups from 7-12 years old, 13-18

years old, 19-24 years old and 25 years old and above.The evaluation sheets was

expected to be filled up by the respondents according to the direction provided to ensure

the efficiency of collection of data

.
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DATA ANALYSIS

The researchers used Friedman-Two-Way ANOVA using 0.05 level of

significance to determine the best treatment of the study. The researchers will use the

one-way ANOVA to compare the physico-chemical properties of the treatments. The data

that was gathered were analyzed and tabulated.