Antioxidative Activities and Qualitative Characteristics of Substitute Tea using Salvia plebeia R. Br.

The substitute tea was manufactured from the leaves of Salvia plebeia R. Br. (SPR) that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. Total polyphenols and flavonoids in SPR were 71.8±4.74 GAE mg/g and 38.7±2.95 QUE mg/g, respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity of SPR water extract had an RC50 of 16.9 μg/mL. SPR inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production with an IC50 of > 100 μg/mL. Medium and large leaves were used in the SPR substitute tea (SPRT). The water content was dissipated on roasting within approximately 10 minutes, and the tea obtained from fan-firing for a total 120 minutes was evaluated as most superior. Flavor was positively correlated with the taste and general preference. SPRT maintained its anti-oxidative activity without significant changes on roasting or fan-firing even after the heat treatment. The appropriate weight of a tea bag for one serving was 1.0 g. The study results indicated that SPR is a potential resource for the development of food or ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties.