Analysis and elaboration of lemon balms teas (melissa officinali l.) in São Gabriel da Cachoeira-AM

Abstract

The diversity of plants in the Alto Rio Negro region and the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples on the consumption of medicinal plants for the cure of diseases are factors that justify the need to expand knowledge about these practices, especially about forms of consumption. The IFAM CSGC carried out the research on sensory analysis with the Institution's workers and students, evaluating the Lemon Balm species (Melissa Officinalis L.), aiming to prepare and evaluate the Lemon Balm tea by the academic community of the IFAM Campus São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas. Tea is the most consumed food for the treatment of various illnesses in the region, mainly as a natural tranquilizer. To prepare the tea, three techniques were used: infusion, decoction, and maceration. For the sensorial analysis, the hedonic scale was used, according to the methodology of Monteiro (1984). The research on Lemon Balm tea resulted in high levels of sensory acceptability, highlighting the infusion technique by workers, and the decoction technique among students, in which the "age" factor may have influenced the results, as adult individuals tend to show loss of some organoleptic characteristics such as aroma and flavor, and young individuals do not yet have these characteristics fully developed.