Characterization of Fiddlehead Fern (Diplazium Esculentum) and Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum Cassia) Tea

This research work aims to develop a tea from fern (D. esculentum) and cinnamon (C. cassia) using a 3x3 factorial design, with fern levels at 2g, 4g, and 6g, and cinnamon levels at 1g, 2g, and 3g. Nine treatments were analyzed for physicochemical properties, including pH (6.18-6.57), total soluble solids (0.83-1.31), water activity (0.661-0.697), moisture content (7.45-13.96%), and color parameters L* (46.73-56.98), a* (13.15-31.54), and b* (44.79-58.26). Both the powder and infused tea were evaluated for total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and microbial properties. Production costs were calculated, resulting in a product price of ₱507.1 per pack. Sensory evaluation assessed color, aroma, flavor, and aftertaste to determine the most acceptable formulation. Results of the sensory evaluation revealed that the most acceptable formulation is treatment 3, which has a sensory response of 7.88, equivalent to moderately on the 9-point hedonic scale. pH values were found at 6.18, TSS at 0.96 ˚Bix, having 0.69 water activity and a moisture content of 8.95 %, respectively, are within the acceptable range for tea. Most acceptable formulations have a total phenolic of 44.5 mg GAE/g for infused tea and 38.5 mg GAE/g for the powder while having antioxidant properties of IC50 215.9 μg/L for infused tea and 383.4 μg/g for the powder. This finding recommends that the parameters for making this tea were the combination of 2 grams of fern and 3 grams of cinnamon in 200 mL of water at 70-85°C temperature, infused for 10 minutes.