# A Comprehensive Study on the Development of an Isotonic Sports Drink Preserved by UV-C Light Assisted by Mild Heat and Loaded with Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill.) Extract

## TL;DR

This study developed a new isotonic sports drink preserved with UV-C light and mild heat, enhanced with yerba mate extract, which showed good stability and consumer acceptance.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the combination of UV-C light with mild heat and yerba mate extract to preserve and enhance an isotonic sports drink.

## Key findings

- UV-C light with mild heat significantly inactivated harmful microbes like Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and native microbiota.
- Yerba mate extract increased polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity in the drink.
- The drink maintained acceptable sensory qualities and met safety thresholds during storage.

## Abstract

A unique isotonic sports drink (ISD) was created in this study using a pilot-scale short-wave ultraviolet light (UV-C, 892 mJ/cm2, 20 °C) assisted by mild heat (UV-C/H, 534 mJ/cm2, 50 °C), which was followed by the addition of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) extract (YME). Consumer perception and microbiological and physicochemical stability during refrigerated storage (4 °C/23 d) were assessed for the ISD. Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (AA) spores and cocktails of yeasts and Escherichia coli were considerably inactivated by UV-C/H. The TEM and SEM micrographs showed that AA evidenced sustained severe structural damage. Furthermore, UV-C/H completely inactivated the native microbiota, while YME incorporation increased the initial aerobic mesophilic and mold-and-yeast populations by 0.48 and 0.70 log cycles, remaining stable during storage. YME addition enhanced total polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity by 2.7–3.7, 16.5–16.7 and 6.6–24.0 times compared to the untreated ISD and ISD-UVC/H samples. Except for sedimentation and turbidity, the other physical characteristics mostly did not change (going from 1494 ± 382 to 2151 ± 106 NTU). The initial 5-HMF value in the ISD was raised by UV-C/H treatment and YME addition. Notwithstanding, it stayed below the allowed threshold throughout storage. ISD-UVC/H+YME had a high overall acceptability score; 60% of panelists gave the drink a score of seven or higher. Additionally, the herbal taste of YME was well liked, and its bitterness was perceived as mild. These findings suggest that including YME and the UV-C/H treatment can produce an ISD of superior quality with distinct sensory attributes.