Development of a Bioactive-Rich Beverage Using Stevia and Passion Fruit Powders After Long-Term Storage

Incorporating stevia and passion fruit into beverages represents an innovative approach to developing low-calorie, functional drinks with enhanced nutritional value. This study focused on the development, metabolite characterization, and raw material stability of an herbal infusion by using leaf extracts of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) and fruits of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa). Stevia leaves were harvested 108 days after planting, while passion fruits were harvested at approximately 90% maturity from a naturally (without chemical fertilizers or pesticides) grown plantation at Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Córdoba. The stevia leaves were dried, and both the dried leaves and passion fruit pulp were processed into powders. The resulting powders were thoroughly mixed and packaged in white food-grade paper envelopes. An untrained panel used a single-blind procedure to evaluate the herbal infusions under each treatment using organoleptic methods (sensory analysis). Then, an HPLC method was used in order to determine the content of main glycosides in new stevia leaves and in leaves that had been stored for eight years. Antioxidant assays of stevia and passion fruit, using new powder and powder that had been stored for an eight-year period, were performed. From the results of sensorial analysis, the herbal infusion with added passion fruit received the highest scores for acceptability, while the herbal infusion without passion fruit received the highest scores for appearance and texture. The Rebaudioside A content (58.99 ± 4.96 mg/g) in the new stevia powder was not significantly different from that in the old, stored stevia powder (57.52 ± 4.00 mg/g), whereas the results for stevioside content were exactly the opposite. The antioxidant activity in new stevia powder was more significant (p < 0.05) than that found in stored stevia powder, whereas for passion fruit it was exactly the opposite. This study underscores the potential of the developed formulation and the assessment of long-term storage conditions. Finally, this combination offers a promising basis for consuming non-nutritive sweeteners or herbal infusions as an innovative alternative.