Abstract Astringency is one of the characteristic traits of tea; nonetheless, over-astringent tea has been shown to impart an undesirable drying sensation in the mouth, leading to low consumer acceptability. The dry feeling has been mainly attributed to tea polyphenols, such as tannins and catechins, that react with proteins in the mouth, resulting in increased friction in the mouth. Recent studies have shown that plant proteins are effective and sustainable measures in controlling the level of tea astringency, as they possess the ability to bind polyphenols, thus preventing them from reacting with proteins in the mouth. However, the complexation of plant proteins and polyphenols can be beneficial for improving mouthfeel and overall taste if properly formulated. While high levels of complexation can be a concern regarding aroma or texture modification, proper levels of protein type and processing can be used to optimise such benefits. More importantly, the complexation of polyphenols and plant proteins can be beneficial, as the latter are still bioavailable. Plant-based proteins, approval-wise, provide sufficient stability against common beverage processing procedures such as pasteurisation and can be processed on an industrial scale with an inexpensive production methodology. In addition, regulatory acceptance with an emphasis on clean labelling and sustainable trends makes plant-based proteins an even better choice for industrialisation. In conclusion, plant-based proteins provide an effective way to improve palatability and possess adequate scientific rationale for formulating value-added teas for astringency-sensitive individuals.
Mohamed et al. (Mon,) studied this question.