Healthy Drink Mixtures With Tropical Fruits, Cashew ( <i>Anacardium occidentale</i> ), Acerola ( <i>Malpighia emarginata</i> ), and Aloe Vera ( <i>Aloe barbadensis</i> Miller)

Tropical fruits are sources of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. The objective of this study was to optimize functional beverage formulations using Aloe vera gel ( Aloe barbadensis Miller), clarified cashew juice ( Anacardium occidentale ), and acerola pulp ( Malpighia emarginata ), integrating mixture design optimization with kinetic shelf‐life modeling and explicit control of aloin content, an approach not previously reported for tropical fruit–aloe beverages. A D‐optimal mixture design was applied to determine the proportions of fruit juice, water, and sweetener, keeping the content of aloe gel and stabilizing agent constant. Physicochemical analyses included pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and ascorbic acid content. High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify ascorbic acid and aloin. The physicochemical characteristics presented values within previously published ranges. The optimized cashew and acerola beverages showed an ascorbic acid content of up to 158 mg/100 mL of beverage, aloin levels below 0.0012 μg/mL in the final beverage, and desirable physicochemical stability. The estimated shelf life of the beverages was 51 days, and their stability followed first‐order kinetics, with greater degradation observed at 60°C. This study provides a novel formulation strategy by integrating Aloe vera gel with tropical fruit juices through a D‐optimal mixture design, combined with analytical control of aloin and kinetic‐based shelf‐life prediction. The results contribute original data on the stability and safety of Aloe vera –based functional beverages, supporting their agroindustrial application using tropical fruits from the Colombian Caribbean, aligning with current consumer trends toward healthier food alternatives and promoting agroindustrial innovation.