Lithocarpus polystachyus compound tea with anti-fatigue efficacy and preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of food processing, specifically relating to a compound tea of ​​Litsea cubeba with anti-fatigue effects, its preparation method, and its application. The invention uses Litsea cubeba tea as its core, compounded with fruit juice, dairy products, natural sweeteners, coffee liquid, lemon juice, ice cubes, and lemon slices. Preparation involves first obtaining the Litsea cubeba tea base through temperature- and time-controlled extraction, then extracting the coffee liquid under high pressure, and finally mixing all components evenly. This invention utilizes fruit juice to neutralize bitterness, dairy products to improve grassy taste, coffee liquid to create a caramelized aroma, and lemon juice to enhance freshness, significantly improving the taste defects of traditional Litsea cubeba tea. Animal experiments have confirmed that it can significantly prolong the swimming time and rope-climbing time of mice, exhibiting excellent anti-fatigue effects. All raw materials are from natural food sources, ensuring high safety. The preparation process is simple and suitable for industrial production, broadening the application prospects of Litsea cubeba in the field of functional tea beverages.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing, specifically relating to a compound tea of ​​Litsea cubeba leaves and Cortex styracifolium with anti-fatigue effects, its preparation method, and its application. Background Technology

[0002] Litsea cubeba ( Lithocarpuslitseifolius *Litsea cubeba* (also known as *Litsea cubeba* var. *spicata* or sweet tea) is a plant belonging to the genus *Litsea* in the family Fagaceae. It is mainly distributed in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, and Sichuan Province in my country. The young leaves of *Litsea cubeba* have a natural sweetness, and there is a traditional folk custom of drying the leaves and steeping them in water to make a tea substitute, commonly known as "sweet tea." Modern pharmacological studies have shown that *Litsea cubeba* leaves are rich in phlorizin, trifolin, flavonoids, and polyphenols, possessing various biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-fatigue, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. Phlorizin and dihydrochalcone compounds are the main sources of its sweetness, with a sweetness level hundreds of times that of sucrose, while being extremely low in calories, making it a good sugar substitute.

[0003] Existing Litsea cubeba leaf tea products have significant shortcomings: while the tea obtained by directly brewing the dried leaves or simply extracting them with hot water has a natural sweetness, it is accompanied by a noticeable bitterness and grassy taste, resulting in a monotonous and poorly balanced flavor, leading to low consumer acceptance. Furthermore, most existing blended teas simply combine Litsea cubeba leaves with green tea, black tea, or ingredients like goji berries and chrysanthemum, without addressing the bitterness and grassy taste or harmonizing the flavor. Essentially, they remain traditional tea substitutes with limited flavor profiles and unresolved taste defects. Meanwhile, commercially available beverages claiming anti-fatigue properties, such as Red Bull and Litsea cubeba, often rely on chemically synthesized ingredients like taurine, caffeine, and B vitamins as their active ingredients, raising concerns about long-term safety. These products are often monotonous and lack blended tea products based on natural plant-derived ingredients that offer both excellent taste and clear anti-fatigue benefits. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the above technical problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a compound tea of ​​Litsea cubeba leaves and Cortex styracifolium with anti-fatigue effects, its preparation method and application.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: This invention provides a compound tea of ​​Litsea cubeba leaves and Cordyceps militaris with anti-fatigue effects, which is made from the following raw materials by weight: 100-200 parts of Litsea cubeba leaf and Cordyceps militaris tea base liquid, 150 parts of fruit juice, 50-100 parts of dairy products, 5-15 parts of sweetener, 1-10 parts of coffee liquid and 10-20 parts of lemon juice, 10-20 parts of ice cubes and 1-5 parts of lemon slices.

[0006] This invention is the first to propose a multi-dimensional flavor blending strategy using Litsea cubeba tea as a base, incorporating "fruity aroma + lactic acid + coffee bitterness + lemon tartness." Through the complementary and masking flavors of the various auxiliary ingredients, it systematically addresses sensory deficiencies while preserving and enhancing the anti-fatigue effects of its natural active ingredients. Specifically, the optimal balance of sweetness and astringency is achieved when Litsea cubeba dried leaves are steeped in water at a 1:25 ratio at 95°C for 8 minutes. Further optimization revealed that a guava pulp to tea base ratio of 1:1 maximizes the balance of sweetness and acidity and overall appeal (comprehensive score 8.49 / 10). Furthermore, the addition of coffee as a flavor modifier creates a striking contrast between the caramelized bitterness and the high sweetness of Litsea cubeba, while the acidity of lemon juice provides a refreshing finish. The final formula is not a simple additive combination but an ordered arrangement based on flavor chemistry principles, resulting in a product that combines natural sugar substitute properties, a rich taste, and clear anti-fatigue activity, with an anti-fatigue effect superior to Red Bull. This concept breaks through the technical limitations of traditional tea substitutes or simple blends, providing a brand-new product form and industrialization path for the deep processing of Litsea cubeba, and filling the market gap for natural plant-based anti-fatigue compound tea drinks.

[0007] Furthermore, the juice is selected from one or more of guava pulp and grapefruit juice.

[0008] Furthermore, the dairy product is selected from one or more of pure milk, concentrated cream, and coffee milk.

[0009] Furthermore, the sweetener is selected from one or more of honey, osmanthus honey, and longan honey.

[0010] This invention also provides a method for preparing the Litsea cubeba leaf and Cortex compound tea, comprising the following steps: S1. Mix dried leaves of Litsea cubeba with water and soak for 5-10 minutes, then filter and collect the filtrate. Cool the filtrate to 4-10℃ to obtain Litsea cubeba tea base liquid. S2. Grind Italian dark roast coffee beans into an extremely fine powder and extract the coffee liquid at a powder-to-water ratio of 1:1 to 3. S3. Mix the Litsea cubeba tea base, fruit juice, dairy products, sweetener, coffee liquid and lemon juice evenly, then add ice cubes and lemon slices to obtain Litsea cubeba compound tea.

[0011] Furthermore, the mass ratio of the dried leaves of Litsea cubeba to water is 1:20~30.

[0012] Furthermore, the soaking conditions are 90~100℃ for 5~10 minutes.

[0013] Furthermore, the extraction conditions are 90~95℃, extraction pressure 8~10 bar, and extraction time 20~40 seconds.

[0014] The present invention also provides the application of the aforementioned Litsea cubeba leaf and Cortex compound tea in the preparation of anti-fatigue beverages.

[0015] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: Significantly Improved Taste: This invention blends Litsea cubeba tea base with a specific ratio of fruit juice, dairy products, sweeteners, coffee, and lemon juice. The fruity aroma and sweet-sour taste of the fruit juice neutralize the bitterness of the Litsea cubeba tea, the rich and smooth texture of the dairy products improves the grassy and rough taste of the tea, the roasted aroma and bitterness of the coffee contrast with the natural sweetness of Litsea cubeba, and the acidity of the lemon juice enhances the overall freshness and balance of the flavor. The synergistic effect of these components significantly improves the sensory quality of the Litsea cubeba tea. Sensory evaluation results show that the blended tea of ​​this invention achieves a comprehensive score of 8.49 out of 10, far exceeding the 7.55 score of the Litsea cubeba tea base.

[0016] Excellent anti-fatigue effects: Animal experiments showed that the compound tea of ​​Litsea cubeba leaves and Cortex styracifolium of this invention can significantly prolong the swimming time under load (P<0.01) and the rope-climbing time of mice (P<0.01), demonstrating significant anti-fatigue effects. Its mechanism of action may be related to the antioxidant and energy metabolism regulation effects of its active ingredients such as phlorizin and flavonoids.

[0017] Naturally sourced and highly safe: All raw materials used in this invention are naturally sourced food ingredients, without the addition of any chemically synthesized components. They are highly safe for long-term consumption and meet the modern consumer demand for natural and healthy beverages.

[0018] The preparation method is simple and suitable for industrial production: The preparation method of the present invention has a simple process flow, involving only conventional operation steps such as extraction, mixing and cooling, without the need for complex equipment, and is suitable for large-scale industrial production.

[0019] This invention enriches the product forms and application scope of Litsea cubeba: It provides a new technical solution for the deep processing and product development of Litsea cubeba, expands the application field of Litsea cubeba in the food industry, and has good market development prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 The image shows the results of a weighted swimming experiment with mice.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the results of a mouse rope-climbing experiment. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, but these should not be construed as limiting the invention. Unless otherwise specified, the technical means used in the following embodiments are conventional means well known to those skilled in the art, and the materials, reagents, etc. used in the following embodiments can be obtained commercially unless otherwise specified.

[0023] Dried leaves of Litsea cubeba were purchased from Guizhou Litsea cubeba Ecological Tea Co., Ltd., originating from Guizhou. Guava pulp was purchased from Zhejiang Mainuo Food Co., Ltd., honey from Guanshengyuan Co., Ltd., and pure milk from Bengbu Heping Dairy Co., Ltd.

[0024] Example 1 I. Preparation of Litsea cubeba leaf and Cortex compound tea.

[0025] 1. Formula: A compound tea of ​​Litsea cubeba leaves with anti-fatigue effects, which contains the following components by weight: 150 parts Litsea cubeba tea base liquid, 150 parts guava pulp, 80 parts pure milk, 10 parts honey, 5 parts coffee liquid, 11 parts lemon juice, 15 parts ice cubes, and 2 parts lemon slices.

[0026] 2. Preparation Method: Soak dried Litsea cubeba leaves in water at a mass ratio of 1:25 at 95℃ for 8 minutes. Filter to remove tea residue, collect the filtrate, and quickly cool to 4℃ to obtain Litsea cubeba tea base. Extract coffee from Italian dark roast coffee beans under the following conditions: grind coffee beans to a very fine powder (based on 18g of coffee powder), coffee-to-water mass ratio of 1:2, extraction temperature of 92℃, extraction pressure of 9 bar, and extraction time of 35 seconds. Mix the Litsea cubeba tea base, guava puree, whole milk, honey, coffee, and lemon juice evenly. Add ice cubes and lemon slices as specified in the recipe to obtain Litsea cubeba blended tea.

[0027] II. Screening of the concentration of Litsea cubeba tea base liquid.

[0028] The extraction temperature was fixed at 95℃, and the soaking time was 8 minutes. The effects of water-to-dried Litsea cubeba leaf mass ratios of 20:1, 25:1, 30:1, 35:1, and 40:1 on the sensory quality of the tea infusion were investigated. Sensory evaluation method: A panel of 10 trained food science sensory evaluators (5 males and 5 females, aged 22-35 years) scored the sweetness, bitterness, and overall acceptability of the tea infusion. Each indicator was scored on a 10-point scale (1 point for worst, 10 points for best). A higher sweetness score indicated a more suitable sweetness, a higher bitterness score indicated a lower bitterness (i.e., weaker bitterness), and a higher overall acceptability score indicated better overall liking. The overall score was calculated as (sweetness + bitterness + overall acceptability) / 3. Samples were rinsed with purified water before evaluation, with a 2-minute interval between samples. Evaluations were conducted at room temperature (25±2℃) under normal light conditions. The overall score was calculated using sweetness, bitterness, and overall acceptability as evaluation indicators. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0029] Table 1: Effects of different water-to-material ratios on the sensory quality of tea infusion As shown in Table 1, the highest overall score of 7.55 points was achieved when the water-to-material ratio was 25:1, indicating moderate sweetness, low bitterness, and good overall acceptability of the tea soup.

[0030] III. Optimization of flavoring and auxiliary ingredient ratios.

[0031] The effect of the mass ratio of guava pulp to Litsea cubeba tea base (0.6:1, 0.8:1, 1:1, 1.2:1, 1.5:1) on sensory quality was investigated. The sensory evaluation method was the same as above, and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0032] Table 2: Effects of different mass ratios of guava pulp and litsea cubeba tea base liquor on sensory quality The results showed that when the mass ratio of guava pulp to Litsea cubeba tea base was 1:1, the balance between sweet and sour tastes and the overall liking were the highest, with a comprehensive score of 8.49.

[0033] Example 2 I. Laboratory animals.

[0034] SPF-grade male Kunming mice, 6-8 weeks old, weighing 18-22g, 30 mice in total, were acclimatized for 7 days before the experiment, with free access to food and water, room temperature of 22-25℃, and a 12-hour light / 12-hour dark cycle.

[0035] II. Experimental Design.

[0036] Litsea cubeba group: The Litsea cubeba compound tea prepared in Example 1 was administered by gavage at a dose of 15 mL / kg body weight, once daily for 14 consecutive days. A mouse-specific gavage syringe was used, and the administration was carried out at a fixed time each day (9:00-10:00 AM).

[0037] Positive control group: Red Bull vitamin energy drink was administered by gavage at a dose of 20 mL / kg body weight, once daily for 14 consecutive days. A mouse-specific gavage syringe was used, and the administration was carried out at a fixed time each day (9:00-10:00 AM).

[0038] Model group: The same volume of physiological saline as the Litsea cubeba group was administered by gavage once daily for 14 consecutive days. A mouse-specific gavage syringe was used, and the gavage was performed at a fixed time each day (9:00-10:00 AM).

[0039] III. Experimental Methods.

[0040] 1. Mouse Weight-Bearing Swimming Experiment: One hour after the last gavage, a lead weight was placed on the tail of each mouse, with the weight of the lead weight being 5% of the mouse's body weight. The mice were placed in a swimming tank (80cm long × 50cm wide × 60cm high), with a water depth of at least 30cm and a water temperature controlled at 25±1℃. The time from entry into the water to exhaustion was recorded. Exhaustion was defined as: the mouse's head remaining submerged below the water surface for 10 seconds without surfacing, and showing no obvious struggling response when placed on a flat surface. If the mouse floated on the surface without swimming, the surface was gently stirred to stimulate swimming. The water in the tank was changed after each mouse's test to maintain water quality.

[0041] 2. Mouse Rope Climbing Experiment: A nylon rope with a diameter of 4mm and a length of 60cm was horizontally taut and fixed to a support frame. The rope was 55cm off the ground, and a soft mat was placed underneath to prevent mice from falling and getting injured. Each group of mice had their forepaws gently placed in the center of the rope, allowing them to naturally grasp it. The time from when the mouse grasped the rope until it fell due to exhaustion was recorded. Each mouse was tested three times, with an interval of at least 15 minutes between each test. The average value was taken as the mouse's rope-climbing time. Exhaustion was defined as the mouse's hind paws or all four limbs detaching from the rope, and the body falling completely. If a mouse remained suspended for more than 300 seconds without falling, it was counted as 300 seconds, and the test was stopped.

[0042] IV. Experimental Results.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, compared with the model group, the weight-bearing swimming time of mice in the Litsea cubeba group was significantly prolonged (P<0.01), indicating that the present invention has a significant anti-fatigue effect.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, the mice in the Litsea cubeba group stayed on the rope for a significantly longer time than those in the model group (P<0.01), further confirming the anti-fatigue efficacy of the present invention.

[0045] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A compound tea of ​​Litsea cubeba leaves and Cortex styrax with anti-fatigue effects, characterized in that, By weight, it is made from the following ingredients: 100-200 parts of Litsea cubeba tea base, 150 parts of fruit juice, 50-100 parts of dairy products, 5-15 parts of sweetener, 1-10 parts of coffee liquid and 10-20 parts of lemon juice, 10-20 parts of ice cubes and 1-5 parts of lemon slices.

2. The Litsea cubeba leaf and oak compound tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, The juice is selected from one or more of guava pulp and grapefruit juice.

3. The Litsea cubeba leaf and oak compound tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dairy products are selected from one or more of pure milk, concentrated cream, and coffee milk.

4. The Litsea cubeba leaf and oak compound tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sweetener is selected from one or more of honey, osmanthus honey, and longan honey.

5. The preparation method of the Litsea cubeba leaf and Cortex compound tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Mix dried leaves of Litsea cubeba with water and soak for 5-10 minutes, then filter and collect the filtrate. Cool the filtrate to 4-10℃ to obtain Litsea cubeba tea base liquid. S2. Grind Italian dark roast coffee beans into an extremely fine powder and extract the coffee liquid according to a powder-to-water ratio of 1:1~3. S3. Mix the Litsea cubeba tea base, fruit juice, dairy products, sweetener, coffee liquid and lemon juice evenly, then add ice cubes and lemon slices to obtain Litsea cubeba compound tea.

6. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The mass ratio of dried leaves of Litsea cubeba to water is 1:20~30.

7. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The soaking conditions are 90~100℃ for 5~10 minutes.

8. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The extraction conditions are 90~95℃, extraction pressure 8~10 bar, and extraction time 20~40 seconds.

9. The application of the Litsea cubeba leaf and Cortex compound tea according to claim 1 in the preparation of an anti-fatigue beverage.

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