Potential of bee products for enrichment of herbal tea: using response surface methodology

Purpose: There has been an increasing demand for food and beverage products enriched with bee products due to their valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds. This study was designed to assess the feasibility of enriching herbal tea infusions with bee products (honey and bee pollen), and to optimize formulation parameters using response surface methodology (RSM). Methods: The effects of the honey level of bee products (HLBP; 10–90 g/100 g) and the level of non-tea substances (LNTS; 1–5 g/100 mL) on the general acceptability, total glucose and fructose (TGF), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity of the herbal tea infusions were investigated using RSM. Results: HLBP showed a positive impact on the general acceptability and TGF, but a negative impact on the TPC, while the LNTS had a positive impact on the TGF and TPC. At the optimized enrichment conditions, the response to honey–bee pollen differed markedly between the two matrices: linden tea demonstrated significantly higher functional enhancement (TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity) compared to the control, whereas sage tea exhibited relatively stable functional values. Sensory responses also differed, with linden formulations showing a significant decrease in general acceptability at lower HLBP levels, while sage formulations maintained relatively stable sensory scores. Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicate that the effects of honey–bee pollen enrichment on herbal tea beverages depend on the tea matrix and require optimization, as increasing functional properties may compromise sensory acceptability, particularly in linden tea, whereas sage tea showed comparatively similar responses to the control.