A review on current trend of next generation of teas

Abstract

Several herbs are presently used in the food industry as functional additives, such as botanic extracts in healthy drinks. Rapid population growth uses healthy drinks for slimming, weight control, and various other beauty applications. In Asian countries, the custom of tea consumption is highly prevalent. Caffeine is the most commonly used behaviourally active ingredient in the world. Tea and coffee are the main product of daily caffeine intake. The review aimed to describe the word ‘next-generation tea’ and the implication of herbal tea/drinks which typically refers to healthy drinks produced using fresh or dried herbs, leaves, immature berries, seeds, and roots of the source material, such as infusion or boiling. Next-generation teas are rich in natural, bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, coumarins, polyacetylene, terpenoids, and saponins. Traditional review methodology with practical and methodological screening was done to determine the appropriate reference sources. Various empirical research has demonstrated that bioactive compounds are responsible for multiple diversified biological functions, including anticarcinogenicity, antimutagenicity, and antiaging effects such as antibacterial, antioxidant, and antiviral. The next generation tea has more diverse bioactive compounds than Camellia sinensis L. based teas which make it potential as a healthy drink.