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Table 2. Effect of extraction time on palatability score of herbal teas (experiment 2).
Herb /plant material
Average score*
Raal and Matto 2517
10 min extraction 45 min extraction Score reduction/improvement
Blackcurrant fruits (Ribis nigri fructus) 4.83 4.94 +0.11
Oregano herb (Origani herba) 4.43 4.00 -0.43
Lemon balm leaves (Melissae folium) 4.41 4.06 -0.35
Creeping thyme herb (Serpylli herba) 4.36 4.21 -0.15
Cowberry leaves (Vitis-idaeae folium) 4.14 4.21 +0.07
Sage leaves (Salviae officinalis folium) 4.14 3.79 -0.33
Peppermint leaves (Menthae piperitae folium) 4.06 3.78 -0.28
German chamomile flowers (Chamomillae flos) 3.94 3.22 -0.72
Yarrow herb (Millefolii herba) 3.93 3.64 -0.29
Hawthorn fruits (Crataegi fructus) 3.83 3.56 -0.27
Birch leaves (Betulae folium) 3.79 3.29 -0.50
Juniper fruits (Juniperi fructus) 3.71 3.57 -0.14
Hops (Lupuli strobilus) 3.64 3.57 -0.07
Primula flowers (Primulae flos) 3.64 3.23 -0.41
Field horsetail herb (Equiseti arvensis herba) 3.44 3.22 -0.22
Caraway fruits (Carvi fructus) 3.39 3.33 -0.06
Coriander fruits (Coriandri fructus) 3.36 3.07 -0.29
Coltsfoot leaves (Farfarae folium) 3.22 3.11 -0.11
Aniseed fruits (Anisi fructus) 3.21 3.00 -0.21
St. John’s wort herb (Hyperici herba) 3.17 2.28 -0.89
Bearberry leaves (Uvae ursi folium) 3.06 2.78 -0.28
Valerian root (Valerianae radix) 3.06 3.00 -0.06
Flax seeds (Lini semen) 2.94 2.78 -0.16
Pot marigold flowers (Calendulae flos) 2.94 2.65 -0.29
Common thyme herb (Thymi herba) 2.79 2.71 -0.08
Rosemary herb (Ledi herba) 2.36 1.86 -0.50
Frangula bark (Frangulae cortex) 2.29 2.47 +0.18
Common motherwort herb (Leonuri herba) 1.67 1.28 -0.39
Tormentil rhizome (Tormentillae rhizome) 1.61 1.17 -0.43
Bistort rhizome (Bistortae rhizome) 1.39 1.11 -0.28
Iceland moss (Lichen islandicus) 1.38 1.07 -0.31
31 subjects tasted all herbal teas. *5-point taste scale (1=distasteful, 5=excellent taste).
α-bisabolol or bisabolol oxides A and B (Orav et al.,
2010).
The present study demonstrates that the extraction
time is not the crucial determinant for the taste rating of
the herbal teas (Tables 2 and 3), at least as far as the
experimenters were aware that these teas are intended
to be used as remedies. The general trend was that the
prolongation of the extraction time decreased the score of
palatability, but the effect was not great and the
prolongations of the extraction time of the Blackcurrant
and Coriander fruits, Cowberry leaves, Flax seeds, or
Frangula bark teas even somewhat improved the taste.
One has to emphasize that on the 5-point palatability
scale the usual change of the palatability score was only
5 to 20%.
The taste of bitterness is another sensational property
widely associated with teas of medicinal herbs. Though
again at least somewhat contextual and society specific
(6), particularly the bitterness is associated with the
putative efficacy of the medicinal herb derived remedies.
In this context it is surprising that the considerable
sweetening of the herbal teas had also only a minor taste
improving effect (Table 4). Notably only the Blackcurrant
fruits tea achieved the maximum 5 points score, however
the unsweetened entry score of the Blackcurrant fruits
tea in this experiment was also high (4.63). Thus, the
sweetening of the medicinal herb teas is a tool to improve
the tea taste, however, the effect of the addition of
saccharose is only moderate and the unpalatable herbal
teas remain still unpalatable. It is interesting to mention
that all samples known as essential oil drugs (Table 1)
had exclusively the maximum 5 point score (Table 1), but
the minimum score of their teas was sometimes even
only 1 (Caraway fruits, German chamomile flowers,