Abstract:
Osbeckia octandra (Heen Bovitiya/HB) and Atalantia ceylanica (Yaki Naran/ YN) are endemic
plants to Sri Lanka, have been traditionally used to treat various ailments. This research was
planned to assess the preference differences among Ceylon tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)
(100% tea), herbals (100%) and herbal blends (tea + herbals) and to identify the most preferred
medicinally enriched beverage among the samples. Furthermore, chemical analysis of the most
preferred blends and the most ideal blending proportions for commercial production was
evaluated. Fresh HB and YN leaves were harvested in the Nuwara Eliya district, cleaned and dried
at 45°C for 12 hours using a domestic oven. The dried leaves were ground and blended with FBOP
(Fine Broken Orange Pekoe) and Dust-1 tea grades which were collected from the Ragala tea
factory. These blends were mixed proportionally as FBOP-100% (T1), FBOP-75% & HB-25%
(A2), FBOP-50% & HB-50% (A3), FBOP-25% & HB-75% (A4), HB-100% (H1), Dust1-100% (T2),
Dust1-75% & HB-25% (B2), Dust1-50% & HB-50% (B3), Dust1-25% & HB-75% (B4), FBOP-75%
& YN-25% (C2), FBOP-50% & YN-50%) (C3), FBOP-25% & YN-75% (C4), YN-100% (H2), Dust1-
75% & YN-25% (D2), Dust1-50% & YN-50% (D3) and Dust1-25% & YN-75% (D4). The samples
were packed into tea bags, with each weighing 2 g. A sensory evaluation test was conducted with
30 panelists, evaluating aroma, color, and flavor using a five-point hedonic scale. The Friedman
test was employed to identify significant differences between treatments. The best blending
proportions were selected based on overall preference, composition of chemical analysis, cost
and material availability. Treatments B2 and D2 were significantly different from other blends
(P<0.05) due to higher preference, lower cost, and ample availability of material. Hence B2 and
D2 were determined as the most ideal blending proportions for commercial production. This
research marks a promising milestone in the exploration of using native plants to benefit both the
medicinal and commercial industries.
