Synergistic, antagonistic, and additive effects on the resultant antioxidant activity in infusions of green tea with bee honey and Citrus limonum extract as additives

Abstract

Foods consumed by living organisms contain antioxidants of different antioxidant capacities. In a mixture of antioxidants, the resultant antioxidant potential can be different from the mathematical sum of antioxidant activities exerted by individual components. The possible interactions include synergism, antagonism, and additivity between the bioactive compounds. The study was focused on the synergistic, antagonistic, and additive interactions of bioactive components on antioxidant activity in a ternary mixture of green tea (Camellia sinensis) with the added bee honey and Citrus limonum extract. The resultant antioxidant activity was assessed in terms of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). Green tea brew held at each temperature with bee honey added and bee honey with Citrus limonum extract added were analyzed for the TPC, TFC, and TEAC. The observed values of TPC, TFC, and TEAC of the binary and ternary mixtures were compared with the expected values or the mathematical sum of each TPC, TFC, and TEAC of individual ingredients. The TPC and TEAC of each sample demonstrated synergism where the effect was antagonistic on TFC. Each sample demonstrated a significant difference (p < 0.05) in all TPC, TFC, and TEAC. The impact of the temperature of green tea brew at which the additives were added, particularly room (29 °C) and chilling temperatures (7 °C), was addressed considering the effect of additive and temperature collectively on the resultant antioxidant activity.

Keywords

• Green tea
• Bee honey
• Synergism
• Antagonism
• Bioactive compounds
• Antioxidant activity