Hazel leaves as novel herbal tea ingredient: Evaluation of functional properties, sensory characteristics, and consumers’ acceptability
Main Article Content
Keywords
consumers’ acceptability; drying technologies; hazel leaves; herbal tea; volatile aroma compounds
Abstract
Although hazel leaves have historically been used in traditional medicine, they have not yet been studied as an ingredient in food or beverages. This research investigates the potential use of Corylus avellana L. (hazel) leaves in the preparation of herbal teas. The impact of two drying methods, Air Drying (AD) 50°C/3 h and Microwave Drying (MWD) 400 W/4 min, on the phenolic content, volatile aroma compounds, sensory profile, and consumers’ acceptability of the resulting herbal teas was evaluated. The results showed that MWD determined a higher total phenolic content (0.78 mg/L GAE) compared to AD (0.70 mg/L GAE), while the DPPH assay showed a similar antioxidant capacity (35.4% AD vs 35.6% MWD). Volatile compound and sensory analyses revealed that MWD enhanced the formation of aldehydes and ketones associated with fruity, citrus, and sweet notes, whereas in AD samples, grassy and herbaceous volatiles such as unsaturated alcohols and aldehydes prevailed. Consumers’ acceptability, evaluated through the Hedonic Scale Method, demonstrated a clear preference for MWD herbal teas. Overall, hazel leaf herbal teas represent a promising approach to valorizing agricultural by-products, combining health-promoting potential with sustainability. MWD emerges as the more suitable drying technique to optimize both functional and sensory qualities, highlighting practical applications in the herbal tea industry, in line with current consumer trends and the rapidly growing herbal tea market.
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Cincotta, F., Torre, M., Merlino, M., Condurso, C., Buda, M. and Verzera, A., 2025. Sustainable herbal teas from fig (Ficus carica L.) waste leaves: Volatile fingerprinting, sensory descriptors, and consumer acceptability. Beverages. 11(1): 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11010016
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Di Cesare, L.F., Forni, E., Viscardi, D. and Nani, R.C., 2003. Changes in the chemical composition of basil caused by different drying procedures. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51(12): 3575–3581. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf021080o
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Erdogan, V. and Mehlenbacher, S.A., 2000. Interspecific hybridization in hazelnut (Corylus). The Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. 125: 489–497. https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS.125.4.489
Euromonitor International, 2023. Tea in Western Europe, February 2023. [cited 2024 Nov 08]. Available from: https://www.euromonitor.com/tea-in-western-europe/report
Fratianni, A., Albanese, D., Mignogna, R., Cinquanta, L., Panfili, G. and Di Matteo, M., 2013. Degradation of carotenoids in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) during drying process. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 68: 241–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-013-0369-6
Hu, D., Liu, X., Qin, Y., Yan, J., Li R. and Yang, Q., 2023. The impact of different drying methods on the physical properties, bioactive components, antioxidant capacity, volatile components and industrial application of coffee peel. Food Chemistry. 19: 100807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100807
Huda, H.S.A., Majid, N.B.A., Chen, Y., Adnan, M., Ashraf, S.A., Roszko, M., et al. 2024. Exploring the ancient roots and modern global brews of tea and herbal beverages: A comprehensive review of origins, types, health benefits, market dynamics, and future trends. Food Science and Nutrition. 12(10): 6938–6955. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4346
Imaizumi, T., Jitareerat, P., Laohakunjit, N. and Kaisangsri, N., 2021. Effect of microwave drying on drying characteristics, volatile compounds and color of holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.). Agriculture and Natural Resources. 55: 1–6. https://doi.org/10.34044/j.anres.2021.55.1.01
ISO 8586:2023, 2023. Sensory analysis—Selection and training of sensory assessors. ISO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2023. [cited 2024 Nov 08]. Available from: https://www.iso.org/standard/76667.html
Jiang, R., Manson, J.E., Stampfer, M.J., Liu, S., Willett, W.C. and Hu, F.B., 2002. Nut and peanut butter consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. JAMA. 288: 2554–2560. https://doi:10.1001/jama.288.20.2554
Jimenez-Lopez, C., Fraga-Corral, M., Carpena, M., García-Oliveira, P., Echave, J., Pereira, A.G., et al. 2020. Agriculture waste valorisation as a source of antioxidant phenolic compounds within a circular and sustainable bioeconomy. Food and Functiom. 11(6): 4853–4877. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0FO00937G
Joardder, M.U. and Karim, A., 2023. Pore evolution in cell walls of food tissue during microwave-assisted drying: An in-depth investigation. Foods. 12(13): 2497. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132497
Kalkan, F., Kranthi Vanga, S., Gariepy, Y. and Raghavan, V., 2015. Effect of MW-assisted roasting on nutritional and chemical properties of hazelnuts. Food and Nutrition Research. 59(1): 28916. https://doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v59.28916
Köksal, A.İ., Artik, N., Şimşek, A. and Güneş, N., 2006. Nutrient composition of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) varieties cultivated in Turkey. Food Chemistry. 99(3): 509–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.08.013
Lasano, N.F., Rahmat, A., Ramli, N.S. and Bakar, M.F.A., 2018. Effect of oven and microwave drying on polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity of herbal tea from Strobilanthes crispus leaves. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 11(6): 363–368. https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i6.24660
Lee, O.H., Lee, H.S., Sung, Y.E., Lee, S.M. and Kim, K.O., 2008. Sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of various green teas. Food Science and Biotechnology. 17(2): 349–356.
Maguire, L.S., O’Sullivan, S.M., Galvin, K., O’Connor, T.P. and O’Brien, N.M., 2004. Fatty acid profile, tocopherol, squalane and phytosterol content of walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and the macadamia nut. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition. 3: 171–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480410001725175
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Nowacka, M., Matys, A. and Witrowa-Rajchert, D., 2024. Innovative technologies for improving the sustainability of the food drying industry. Current Food Science and Technology Reports. 2: 231–239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43555-024-00026-8
Okonkwo, C.E., Onyeaka, H., Olaniran, A.F., Isaac‐Bamgboye, F.J., Nwaiwu, O., Ukwuru, M., et al. 2024. Changes in flavor profile of vegetable seasonings by innovative drying technologies: A review. Journal of Food Science. 89(11): 6818–6838. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.17346
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Cincotta, F., Tripodi, G., Torre, M., Cappelli, A., & Verzera, A. (n.d.). Hazel leaves as novel herbal tea ingredient: Evaluation of functional properties, sensory characteristics, and consumers’ acceptability. Italian Journal of Food Science. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from https://itjfs.com/index.php/ijfs/article/view/3331
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How to Cite
Cincotta, F., Tripodi, G., Torre, M., Cappelli, A., & Verzera, A. (n.d.). Hazel leaves as novel herbal tea ingredient: Evaluation of functional properties, sensory characteristics, and consumers’ acceptability. Italian Journal of Food Science. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from https://itjfs.com/index.php/ijfs/article/view/3331