A new iced tea base herbal beverage with Spergularia rubra extract: metabolic profile stability and in vitro enzyme inhibition.

Beverages are an ideal format to offer nutrients, specific health-promoting functionality, and desirable sensory attributes to consumers. Taking into account previous research on Spergularia rubra (L.) J. Presl & C. Presl, the aim of this work was to describe the chemistry and biochemistry associated with the production of a new iced tea base herbal beverage containing a hydroethanolic extract of this species, including both naturally occurring and added components. Phenolic compounds of S. rubra hydroethanolic extract and of the iced tea base herbal beverage were determined by HPLC-DAD. Thirty compounds, comprising nonacylated C-glycosyl flavones, C-glycosyl flavones acylated with aromatic acids, and C-glycosyl flavones acylated with aliphatic acids, were identified, being essentially represented by apigenin derivatives. Organic acids of both samples were determined by HPLC-UV, malic acid being the major one. A strong inhibition of α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase was observ...