Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Myrcianthes hallii Leaf Essential Oil Across Phenological Stages: Application in Nutraceutical Fermented Beverage

Abstract

In the context of natural beverages used for human nutrition, our study explored the potential of Myrcianthes hallii leaves (rich in bioactive compounds) as a raw material for the production of non-traditional craft beer. We hypothesized that the phenological stage affects essential oil yield and bioactivity, which in turn influences the functional properties of fortified beer. In our case, M. hallii leaves collected during the flowering stage yielded the highest amount of essential oil (0.5 v/m/%) and exhibited the greatest concentrations of total phenolics (7.7149 ± 0.02143 mg GAE/mL) and flavonoids (1.6531 ± 0.03355 mg QE/mL), correlating with increased antioxidant capacity. These findings suggest this stage as the most suitable period for harvesting M. hallii leaves for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. This non-traditional beer demonstrated notable antioxidant activity, and sensory analysis revealed high acceptance regarding aroma, taste, and color, supporting its potential as a functional beverage.