Production and characterisation of herbal wine from pineapple and mango juice extracts

Abstract

The earliest evidence of plant additives in fermented beverages were reported in China and Middle East, based on the oracle inscriptions from the late Shang Dynasty [circa (ca.) 1200–1046 before Christ (B.C.)]. Herbs have many positive effects on health and overall body of the human. These herbs tend to have anti-microbial; anti-cancer properties. Most of the locally made wines on the Ugandan market today only offer the drinking experience to the consumer but they do not offer any health benefit to the consumer. The main aim of this research was to produce an herbal wine containing pineapple juice and mango leaf extract as many health benefits are attributed to mango leaves including; antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-obesity, antidiarrheal, antipyretic, and anti-tumour activities. The herbal wine of 14.74% Alcohol by Volume was successfully produced and was characterized. The herbal wine had a pH of 2.91, a Brix of 3.2g/dL, a titratable acidity of (3.332 ± 0.04) %. The concentration of vitamin C was obtained as (8.58 ± 0.04) mg/100ml. Sensory evaluation was also carried out on two sensory attributes with appearance/colour having a mean score of 6.0 ± 0.73 and texture/mouth-feel having a mean score of 5.13 ± 0.62. Wine was successfully made from mango tree leaves and pineapple extracts and there was no much variations between the herbal wine sample and the control sample except in some few aspects for example in concentration of vitamin C with herbal wine having a higher concentration of vitamin C which may improve its antioxidant activity.