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Article . 2025
License: CC BY
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ZENODO
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Analysis of the Composition and Contaminants in Packaged Mixed Herbal Tea Blends from Aydın Province

Authors: ŞENTÜRK, Muhyettin; AŞKIN ÇELİK, Tülay; ASLANTÜRK, Özlem Sultan;

Analysis of the Composition and Contaminants in Packaged Mixed Herbal Tea Blends from Aydın Province

Abstract

Medicinal plants and herbal infusions have been used for centuries in healing and disease prevention, maintaining their importance in traditional medicinal practices worldwide. Due to their perceived natural origin, botanical medicines and herbal tea blends are generally expected to be safe for consumers and free from contaminants. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to analyze the composition of eleven different labelled and unlabelled packaged mixed herbal teas. These tea blends were obtained from fifteen registered herbalists and spice shops under the Aydın Provincial Directorate of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock. Each blend underwent individual analysis, and the labels on the packages were documented. The plants in the blends were identified through morphological analysis, and the presence of foreign substances or contaminants was recorded. The morphological analyses revealed that all of the packaged products contained plant materials from foreign species that were not listed on the labels, making them unsuitable for inclusion in the blends. Additionally, several tea samples were found to contain animal matter, including insect larvae, insect eggs, and bird feathers, with some packages even containing live insects. Furthermore, significant fungal contamination was observed in certain tea blends. These findings indicate that mixed herbal teas sold by herbalists may be of poor quality, containing undeclared and potentially harmful substances. The study highlights a serious concern that warrants increased public awareness and stricter regulation of these products.

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Keywords

contamination, medicinal plant, Agriculture (General), misidentification, mixed herbal teas, Aydın, herbalist, S1-972

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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