Synergistic enhancement of matcha tea with strawberry (Qassim region) aqueous extracts: influence of extraction temperature on phytochemicals, vitamin C, and bioactivities (opens in new tab)

IntroductionMatcha tea is renowned for its rich phytochemical profile; however, optimizing its bioactive potential through formulation and extraction conditions requires further investigation. This study tested the hypothesis that strawberry powder creates an acidic microenvironment that stabilizes matcha catechins during thermal extraction while contributing complementary bioactives.MethodsAqueous extracts from pure matcha (MT) and an 85:15 matcha–strawberry blend (ST) were prepared at 5 °C,...