Asma Entezary, Mohammad Mehdi Neamatshahi, Mohammad Hossein Haddad Khodaparast, Mehdi Khadang Nik Farjam, Nafiseh Nematshahi and Morteza Mohammadi
Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive material in beverages and foodstuffs in the world. Caffeine can be included as a medicine in the formulations of various foodstuffs such as chewing gums; however, its bitter taste poses a problem for manufacturers of food products. In this research, we have dealt with the release of caffeine from chewing gums during the chewing process and with the reduction of the bitteness of caffeine by using extracts of ziziphora. Moreover, we have carried out the sensory evaluation of ziziphora as a flavoring substance in chewing gums. Finally, we have compared the degrees of antioxidant activity of ziziphora using the two solvents methanol (80% v/v) and ethanol (80% v/v). The results obtained, indicated that by raising the caffeine content of chewing gums more of it is released from them, and that most of the caffeine in chewing gums is released during the first 5 to15 min of their chewing. The results also showed that the use of ziziphora decreases the bitterness of caffeine, and that the antioxidant activity of ziziphora in the methanol solvent is greater than that in the ethanol solvent.
