Effect of different concentrations of stem juice of Oxalis tuberosa Mol. and juice of the fruit of Gaultheria glomerata (Cav.) Sleumer on the antioxidant activity of the heat-treated functional beverage

Abstract Functional beverages with added health benefits are popular among peoples and athletes because they help them recover faster from intense workouts and perform better overall. This research set out to determine how well heat-treated stem juice from Oxalis tuberosa Mol. “oca” and fruit juice from Gaultheria glomerata (Cav.) Sleumer “laqa-laqa” performed as an antioxidant in a functional drink. The “oca” stems and the “laqa-laqa” fruit were collected to obtain the juice. For this study, 30 semi-trained panellists used sensory evaluation to rate four treatments (Bo, B1, B2, and B3) with varying quantities of “oca” and “laqa-laqa” juice. The results concluded that the treatment B2, which included 300 ml of “oca” stem juice, 800 ml of “laqa-laqa” juice, 1000 ml of treated water, and 220 g of refined sugar, was given the highest score after a physicochemical evaluation of its colour, smell, taste, and overall appearance. Similarly, the results showed that the protein content increased by 1.38%, the fat content by 1.08%, the moisture percentage by 99.5%, the ash content by 1.82%, and the carbohydrate content by 6.22% after B2 treatment. Similarly, results revealed significant enhancement in antioxidant profiling such as total polyphenols: 1825 mg of gallic acid/100 g and antioxidant Activity: 89.56% μmol of trolox /100 g. In conclusion, due to its high energy content and antioxidant activity, it may be a viable nutritional option for athletes who engage in rigorous, frequent physical exertion. Resumo As bebidas funcionais com benefícios adicionais à saúde são populares entre as pessoas e os atletas porque os ajudam a se recuperar mais rapidamente de exercícios intensos e a ter um desempenho geral melhor. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo determinar o quão beneficamente o suco do caule tratado termicamente de Oxalis tuberosa Mol. “oca” e o suco de fruta de Gaultheria glomerata (Cav.) Sleumer “laqa-laqa” atuaram como antioxidante em bebida funcional. Os caules da “oca” e os frutos da “laqa-laqa” foram coletados para a obtenção do suco. Para este estudo, 30 provadores semitreinados usaram a avaliação sensorial para avaliar quatro tratamentos (B0, B1, B2 e B3) com quantidades variadas de suco de “oca” e “laqa-laqa”. Os resultados indicaram que o tratamento B2, que incluía 300 mL de suco de caule de “oca”, 800 mL de suco de “laqa-laqa”, 1.000 mL de água tratada e 220 g de açúcar refinado, obteve a maior pontuação após avaliação físico-química e avaliação de cor