Mead is a traditional alcoholic beverage containing between 8 and 18 vol% alcohol
produced by fermentation of diluted honey under the influence of yeast. By adding
various spices or herbs, a drink called methelgin is obtained. The aim of this paper
is production of mead with the addition of three types of tea (green, linden and
elderberry) in three different concentrations and testing their antioxidant activity.
The pH value and dry matter content of methelgins were measured before and after
fermentation and the changes in the weight of the bottles were monitored daily. For
the determination of antioxidative capacity the content of total phenolics was
measured and two tests were performed: DPPH and FRAP. Fermentation activity
was slightly improved only by the addition of green tea. The obtained results
showed differences in antioxidant properties of mead with the addition of different
tea types and the strongest antioxidant effect was shown by the samples to which
green tea was added. Also, with the increase in the amount of added tea, the
antioxidant properties of the beverages were more pronounced.
