Use of Green Powders as Ingredients in Functional Beverages

The aim of this study was to compare the quality of soft drinks with the addition of powderd chlorella, barley grass, wheatgrass, kale, matcha, Moringa oleifera leaves. The levels of ash, pH, total polyphenols (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), individual phenolic compounds, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH) were determined before and after pasteurization. Turbidity and colour parameters (L*, a*, b*, C*, h^o) were analysed. The drinks averaged 48.9 mg of TPC, 16.37 mg of chlorophylls, and 4.33 mg of carotenoids, per 100 ml of fresh weight. The antioxidant activity per ml averaged 16.72 µM Trolox (DPPH) and 103.41 µM Trolox (ABTS). Gallic acid was present in the highest amount (103-228.11 mg/L) in beverages containing matcha before pasteurization. The matcha - containing drinks also had the highest antioxidant activity, and their turbidity was the highest. The drinks were characterized by values of parameter a* in the range -1.67÷1.78, and parameter b* in the range 3.21÷27.78. Pasteurization significantly reduced the level of analysed components and deteriorated the parameters of colour and turbidity. In conclusion, green powders can be used as an ingredient in beverages to create new products with antioxidant properties.