No abstract

No abstract

Consumption of teas has been increasing around the world. In Brazil, mate tea, prepared from yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), is the most popular tea and its popularity is increasing due to the development of new mate-based products and the increasing health consciousness of the Brazilian population. Further development of the mate market in Brazil requires accurate consumer profiling, focusing on tea drinking behavior, preferences and perceptions. We applied a questionnaire to mate tea consumers to assess their beliefs, consumption behavior, and taste preferences. We also explored the acceptability of tea made from yerba mate processed in different ways: immediately after harvest and after eight months of storage, varying the percentage of leaves and sticks. One hundred consumers evaluated six experimental samples and two commercial mate teas. Results indicated that mate was most consumed in tea bag form, followed by ice teas. The preferred flavors were natural and lemon. Most of the consumers (61%) consumed mate with sugar, drinking it at home before bedtime. Product quality, brand and price were the most important aspects taken into account when purchasing mate. The majority of consumers were not satisfied with the products currently offered in the market, and the main criticism was poor quality and packaging. Consumers accepted all tasted samples, except the tea prepared with 100% sticks. Commercial teas were less preferred than the experimental teas, indicating that there are opportunities for further development of commercially viable mate products.

Summary In this work, NADES based on sucrose and citric acid was synthesised and evaluated. Physical properties such as density, viscosity and thermal profile were evaluated at different temperatures and water contents. Viscosity and density were inversely affected by temperature and water content. Increases in the sucrose fraction resulted in higher viscosity, but no differences in density were observed. The rheological model of Ostwald‐de‐Waele indicated three distinct rheological behaviours at different temperatures, water content and sucrose fractions. The Arrhenius model showed a good fit for the temperature effect on the apparent viscosity of all NADESs. The NADES decomposition temperature was approximately 393 K. The thermal characterisation revealed that all NADESs presented glass transitions at temperatures below 204.59 K, confirming their formation and stability. Based on these results, the NADES proposed appears as potential green solvent to be used in industrial processes such as extraction, separation and biochemical technology.

No abstract