The National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow one of the constituent  laboratory under CSIR has developed a health drink utilizing fruits and herbs, which are abundantly available through out India. The herbal drink, so developed has been extensively tested for its useful properties. The herbal drink has also been field tasted it taste like  beer. The medicinal plant gives bitterness as  ‘Hops’ in any beer.  Medicinal plants used in preparation of herbal health drinks are reported to be good for liver.

ADVANTAGES

·   Fruit based herbal drink with non-toxic, antioxidant, containing plants reported to be good for liver and increase immunity and diuretic properties having aroma and refreshing property, with an ability to quench thirst. Provides instant energy and fights fatigue.

·   No. of ingredients – 4

·   Purely natural ingredients.Medicinal plants having health  promoting properties.

·  No chemical preservative

·  Plants are common and abundant

·   Hops replaced with indigenous plant

·   Colours from yellow to orange

·   Bitterness can be altered

·   Has self generated alcohol (2%).

·   Has attractive attributes-good taste, aroma and refreshing properties with an ability to quench thirst

·   Provides instant energy and fights fatigue

·   Purely natural

This herbal health drink froths on carbonation however, it do not contains any frothing agents like salts of lead and nickel.

The lab has  confirmed antioxidant activity in the drink ,  the test report and related literature will be provided at the time of transfer of technology.

PATENTS-   patent application for the Herbal health drink has been applied through PCT and US Patent No. 6,616,950.

PRODUCT

NBIRA ( a regd name )– fermented health drink with an alcohol percentage of around  2%.

The concentrated health drink has following characteristic.

Test                                        herbal health drink

Bitterness value                       180-201

Viscosity                                   1.5 cp

SHELF LIFE -  The concentrate has shelf life of Two years

PROCESS     

1. Pealing of the Mango fruit and preparation of  juice.

2.Crush the cleaned medicinal plants and  mix with water in the specified quantity    to get the plant juice; prepare the bitter powder by separating the layers of the said juice then  concentrate and dry.

3.Prepare the base material by mixing fruit juice, water, sugar, crushed barley, bitter powder  and Autoclave the mixture.

4.Inoculate  the  mixture with fermentation agent in a fermentor;  .

5.Collect the final product after complete fermentation(Approx. 72 hrs) and  pasteurisation.  Centrifuge and fill in bottles as concentrate.

Pharmacological testing Immunomodulation – swim test

Antioxidant-Significant activity- Super Oxide Dismutase mimetic and Lipid peroxidation.

Hepatoprotective

Diuretic

Cytotoxicity studies  – no cytotoxicity in NBIRA as compared to reputed market samples in L-  929 cell.