EVALUATION OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING THE FERMENTATION OF SOURSOP (Annona muricata L.) JUN TEA

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fermentation conditions on the quality of Jun tea supplemented with soursop (Annona muricata L.). The investigated factors included the amount of green tea (5, 7, 9 g/L), honey (110, 130, 150 mL/L), ration of symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) (30, 50, 70 g/L), fermentation time of the first stage (2, 4, 6 days), soursop pulp (150, 200, 250 g/L) and fermentation time of the second stage (1, 2, 3 days). The analytical parameters included Brix, pH, total acidity, total polyphenol content, color and sensory evaluation. The results showed that all investigated factors significantly affected the product quality (p < 0.05). The optimal formulation for original Jun tea was 7 g/L green tea, 130 mL/L honey and 50 g/L SCOBY fermented for 4 days in the first stage. Additionally, supplementing with 200 g/L soursop and further fermented for 2 days in the second stage yielded a product with high sensory quality. This contributes to the development of a novel fermented beverage rich in nutritional value and aligned with current consumer trends.