Faroe spp. and Cymbopogon citratus concoctions have continuously been used as beverages in absence of coffee or tea leaves in Kenya. This study aimed at characterizing their extracts for chemical similarities with processed black coffee and tea leaves. Wet chemistry and spectroscopic methods were used to evaluate these similarities. While the physical-chemical properties were closely related, the results indicated resemblance in functional groups, matching those of polyphenols. The Ultra-Violet (UV) spectra indicated abundance of dienes and xanthophyll pigments. Faroe spp. extracts had more antioxidants against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenger. Phytochemicals and amino acids screens of the samples closely matched those of black coffee and tea. The order of caffeine content was black coffee (398.990, black tea (169.110, Faroe spp. (116.640mg/L) and Cymbopogon citratus (38.760 The same series was observed for total alkaloids and flavonoid content. In conclusion, these extracts were found to have a lot of similarities with black tea and coffee.
Keywords: Cymbopogon citratus, Faroe spp., beverages, caffeine
