Formulation and Evaluation of a Functional Beverage from Carrots Juice, Aloe Vera Gel, and Cardamom Extract

Abstract

The increasing demand for healthy beverages has encouraged the development of products containing natural ingredients with nutritional and functional benefits. This study aimed to develop a functional beverage using carrot juice, aloe vera gel, and cardamom extract and evaluate the effects of different formulations on physicochemical properties, sensory quality, and storage stability. The experiment was conducted in 2025 at the Laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kabul University, Afghanistan. We prepared eight beverage formulations according to Codex Alimentarius standards and evaluated them using a factorial completely randomized design with three replications. The beverages were pasteurized, bottled, and stored at room temperature for 90 days. We assessed physicochemical properties, including total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, and sugar content, and sensory attributes, including appearance, color, flavor, taste, texture, aroma, and overall acceptability, using standard methods. Formulation influenced beverage quality more than storage duration. During storage, total soluble solids and sugar content increased slightly, while pH decreased gradually and titratable acidity remained relatively stable. Sensory attributes changed only slightly, indicating good product stability. Among the eight formulations, T5 achieved the highest overall quality and consumer acceptability, followed by T7 and T8. The findings show that carrot juice, aloe vera gel, and cardamom extract can produce a stable, acceptable functional beverage. T5 (60% carrot juice + 30% aloe vera gel + 10% cardamom extract) was the most suitable formulation because of its superior physicochemical characteristics, sensory quality, and storage performance.