Phenolic, Headspace and Sensory Profile, and Antioxidant Capacity of Fruit Juice Enriched with Salvia officinalis L. and Thymus serpyllum L. Extract: A Potential for a Novel Herbal-Based Functional Beverages

Since certain constituents are not naturally present in pure fruit juices, incorporating herbal extracts can provide specific sensory properties to the beverages and improve their biopotential. In our previous research, it was found that sage (Salvia officinalis L.), wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), and combinations of their extracts had the highest total phenolic content and a unique composition of volatile compounds, which can contribute to the aromatic and antioxidant qualities of functional products. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the potential of sage and wild thyme extracts, as well as their mixture (wild thyme:sage at 3:1, v/v), to enrich fruit juices (apple, pineapple, and orange). Obtained beverages were evaluated for sensory properties as well as phenolic and headspace composition (UPLC-MS/MS and HS-SPME/GC-MS analysis) and antioxidant capacity (ORAC assay). The incorporation of wild thyme extract in pineapple juice provided the most harmonious flavor and the highest content of volatile compounds (on PDMS/DVB fiber). The orange juice formulations were the most enriched with phenolic and volatile compounds (on DVB/CAR/PDMS fibers). The highest antioxidant capacity was observed in the formulation with orange juice and sage extract (22,925.39 ± 358.43 µM TE). This study demonstrated that enriching fruit juices with sage and wild thyme extracts could create functional beverages with improved sensory and health-promoting properties, providing valuable insights for the food and beverage industry to meet the growing demand of health-conscious consumers for natural and functional products.


Introduction
Functional beverages are one of the most remarkable and rapidly expanding segments in the functional food sector. The development of functional beverages faces numerous challenges, such as creating new formulations or improving the existing products to achieve greater health benefits or better sensory properties [1][2][3][4]. Market and consumer trends have shown that there is an increasing demand for low-calorie carbonated beverages PJ was found to have the most intense color (7.72), and color intensity increased with increasing extract concentration. In addition, PJ had the most intense odor among the juices (6.21), and formulations containing PJ had the most harmonious flavor (8.70). The most intense odor, flavor, and aroma of S as well as the odor of WT were found in beverages with AJ (2.08, 2.38, 2.51, and 2.57), which were also the sweetest (6.56). The beverages prepared with OJ were more sour (3.29), bitter (1.98), and the WT aroma was more profound (2.83). With the exception of the flavor of WT, which was stronger in beverages containing WTS mixture (4.10), the odor, flavor, and aroma of S or WT were generally higher in the corresponding beverages (2.97, 4.19, 4.44 for S, and 3.47 and 4.08 for WT). Juice aroma and flavor were highest in the beverages with the highest WT (6.48 and 6.71, respectively). The beverage formulations containing WT and S were rated as more sour and more bitter, respectively (2.43 and 1.44). As expected, when the extract concentration was higher, the odor, aroma, and flavor were more intense. In general, the extract odor, flavor, and aroma received lower average scores (were less profound) when compared with the attributes deriving from juice because they were used only at concentrations of 5%, 10%, or 15%.
In the present study, a new type of enriched fruit juice is presented, and it was found that WT extract, S extract, and their mixture can be well incorporated into fruit juices and accepted by consumers. Based on the average scores of all evaluators, the samples with 10% extract showed the best results, so these samples were used for additional ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, headspace solid-phase microextraction, and antioxidant analyses.
Among the hydroxycinnamic acids, compounds 10, 11, 15, 20, and 26 (Table 2) were quantified as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and rosmarinic acid, respectively, by comparison with authentic standards. Only AJ demonstrated the presence of chlorogenic acid in a noticeably higher concentration. The most abundant acid in all formulations containing S was caffeic acid. Previous studies reported the presence of caffeic acid in pineapple extract [50,51], orange peel extract [52], apple extract [53], and sage extract [36,38,[54][55][56], as well as in pineapple juice enriched with pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) bark extract [57]. The formulations with the highest concentrations of rosmarinic acid were PWT, PWTS, OWT, and OWTS, whereas those with the highest concentrations of chlorogenic acid were AWT and AWTS. Since rosmarinic acid is not a characteristic constituent of PJ and OJ, its presence in the formulations is attributed to WT and WTS extracts, which have a significant content of rosmarinic acid according to a previous study [38]. However, the presence of rosmarinic acid was previously reported in pineapple mixed beverages [58]. Chlorogenic acid has been described as one of the leading phenolic compounds in apple juice [59][60][61], and its presence was high in all apple formulations, particularly in AWT. Moreover, it constitutes the majority of phenolic acids in all samples.  As for the hydroxybenzoic acids, compounds 7, 9, and 29 were quantified through comparison with authentic standards such as protocatechuic, syringic, and gallic acid. Based on the fragment ion at 155 m/z and the fragmentation loss of −162 amu, which is characteristic of a hexose residue [62], the compound 6 was tentatively quantified as 3,4-dihidrobenzoic acid hexoside. Compound 8 was assigned as p-hydroxybenzoic acid based on the previously described fragmentation pattern [63]. Syringic acid predominated in all fruit juices, primarily in PJ, and it was even higher in every formulation, with the exception of AJ, which had slightly higher concentrations of gallic acid. The presence of syringic acid has already been reported for pineapple extract [50], Thymus species [38,64,65], and sage extract [34,66].
Among the flavones, compounds 18 and 28 were quantified by comparison with authentic standards such as luteolin and apigenin. Based on the precursor ion at m/z 449 and the fragment ion at m/z 329, which correspond to the loss of −120 amu, characteristic of the hexose residue in C-glycosylation [67], compound 12 was tentatively quantified as luteolin-6-C-hexoside. The precursor ion at m/z 579 and the fragment ion at m/z 459, both comparable to the fragmentation pattern previously described by Pacifico et al. [68], led to a preliminary quantification of compound 1 as apigenin-6-C-(O-deoxyhexosyl)hexoside. Luteolin was the dominant compound in all fruit juices, especially in OJ and its formulations. The presence of luteolin in orange peel extract has already been reported [52], as well as in sage and wild thyme extracts [37,38,69].
By comparison with the authentic standards, compounds 13, 14, and 21 from the flavonol class were quantified as myricetin, quercetin-3-glucoside, and rutin, respectively. The particular fragment ion at m/z 287 that is characteristic for kaempferol was used to quantify the compounds 4, 16, 17, and 22. Because of the specific fragment loss, they were tentatively quantified as the following compounds: kaempferol-3-O-deoxyhexoside (deoxyhexose −146 amu), kaempferol-3-rutinoside (rhamnose −146 amu; hexose −162 amu), kaempferol-3-O-hexoside (hexose −162 amu), and kaempferol-3-O-pentoside (pentose −132 amu) [70]. Compounds 23 and 25 were tentatively assigned according to the characteristic fragment ion at m/z 303 and specific loss of sugar moieties as quercetin-3-pentoside (pentose −132 amu) and quercetin-3-rhamnoside (rhamnose −146 amu). Compound 19 was quantified as isorhamnetin-3-hexoside by the precursor ion at m/z 479 and the fragment ion at m/z 317, corresponding to the loss of hexose (−162 amu). Flavonols were found to be the most dominant compounds among all polyphenols, especially rutin, which was found in impressive amounts in OJ and all orange formulations. Rutin exhibits numerous pharmacological activities and has been described as one of the major flavonoids in orange peel and as an essential nutritional constituent of plant-based foods [71,72]. The concentration of rutin was highest in the OWTS formulation, which is consistent with our previous reports showing the highest rutin content in the WTS mixture [38]. All formulations contained significant amounts of other flavonols such as quercetin and kaempferol derivatives.
In terms of flavan-3-ols, compounds 3, 24, and 27 were found to be catechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate, respectively, by comparison with authentic standards. Based on the precursor ion at m/z 291 and the fragment ion at m/z 123, compound 5 was tentatively quantified as epicatechin. Catechin and epicatechin were the major flavan-3-ols in the samples, although their concentrations were lower than those of other polyphenols. They have previously been found in pineapple peel [73], orange peel extract, and apple fruit [74,75], as well as in sage and wild thyme extracts [38,76,77].
Among proanthocyanidins, only compound 2 was found, which was tentatively quantified as a procyanidin trimer based on the precursor ion at m/z 865 and the fragment ion at m/z 575 formed by the heterocyclic ring system subunits' retro Diels-Alder (RDA) fission, described earlier [78]. Proanthocyanidins were found mainly in PJ, as previously confirmed by Luximon-Ramma et al. [79].

Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME/GC-MS)
In AJ, PJ, OJ, AS, AWT, AWTS, PS, PWT, PWTS, OS, OWT, and OWTS, volatile headspace compounds were isolated and analyzed by HS-SPME/GC-MS, and the results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. A total of fifty-nine compounds were identified using PDMS/DVB fiber (nine aliphatic alcohols, three aldehydes, one alkane, two esters, three ketones, thirty-four monoterpenes, four benzene derivatives, and three sesquiterpenes), and a total of forty-nine compounds were identified using DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber (eight aliphatic alcohols, four aldehydes, three ketones, twenty-seven monoterpenes, four benzene derivatives, and three sesquiterpenes). Using PDMS/DVB fiber, seven volatile compounds were identified in AJ, five in PJ, and eighteen in OJ. Ethanol (61.73%) was the most abundant volatile compound in AJ, followed by propan-2-one (61.82%) in PJ, and limonene (92.24%) in OJ. Previous studies have reported high ethanol concentrations in apple juice, possibly due to the exposure of apple fruit to anaerobic or hypoxic conditions [80][81][82]. The presence of propan-2-one has also been reported in pineapple juice, which is likely due to thermal degradation [83]. In addition, limonene contributes to orange fragrance and has been previously described as the most abundant volatile compound in orange peel and one of the major constituents in processed orange juice [84,85]. The highest number of volatile compounds was found in the PWT formulation (40). Among S extracts, the OS formulation had the highest number of volatile compounds (10), while in the WTS mixture, the highest number of volatile compounds was present in AWTS formulation (30).
Octan ( Eugenol Using DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, seven compounds were identified in AJ, with ethanol (47.95%) as the dominant compound. Only three compounds were identified in PJ. Interestingly, 3-methylbutanal, an intermediate of the Ehrlich pathway [113], was the predominant compound on this fiber (80.11%), whereas it was not detected when using PDMS/DVB fiber. In OJ, 16 compounds were identified, with limonene being the dominant compound (91.12%). The highest number of detected compounds from all herbal extracts was present in the formulation with OJ. Almost every compound detected in this study was present at lower concentrations in formulations with a two-component herbal extract mixture. However, there are some exceptions, as some of the compounds are characteristic only of single herbal species, so their concentration was expected to increase when two herbal extracts were mixed. On PDMS/DVB fiber, 1,8-cineole and β-thujone were present in higher concentrations in AWTS (9.03%; 21.93%) than in the AWT formulation (1.48%; 1.91%). The presence of linalool and borneol was higher in AWTS (3.71%; 5.97%) than in the AS formulation (1.06%; 3.28%). The percentage of camphor was higher in AWTS and PWTS (13.10%; 12.97%) than in AWT and PWT formulations (5.72%; 2.83%). 4-Terpineol was detected in higher concentrations in AWTS and PWTS (7.46%; 7.14%) than in AS and PS formulations (1.92%; 1.74%).
In addition, a total of 25 compounds were identified on PDMS/DVB fiber, and a total of 19 compounds were identified on DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber at levels less than 1%, mainly monoterpenes and alcohols.
To our knowledge, the headspace analysis of blended apple, pineapple, and orange juice with sage and wild thyme extracts and their mixture has not yet been performed. However, Souza et al. [114] enriched apple juice with cardamom tea (Elettaria cardamomum L. Maton) and identified a total of 46 volatile compounds, among which esters and ethers were predominant. In addition, Saad et al. [115] identified a wide range of volatiles (hydrocarbons, aldehydes, esters, ketones, fatty acids, phenol derivatives, sulfur compounds) when supplementing cucumber (Cucumis satibum L.  [116] detected 19 compounds, mainly alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and ketones, in mixtures of apple and pear (Pyrus communis L.) juice with kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta Planch.) juice. Elwakeel and Hussein [117] identified a total of 30 volatile compounds, mostly alcohols, in a mixture of juice from two cactus pear species (Opuntia ficus-indica L. and Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm.) and guava (Psidium guajava L.) juice. There is a possibility of interactions between the volatile compounds, which may have additive or competitive effects on the aroma profile through synergistic or antagonistic actions [118]. The physicochemical properties of the compounds and the bonds that may occur between them have a great influence on these interactions [119]. Moreover, previous studies have shown that volatiles present in lower amounts can nevertheless have a major impact on the product's aroma due to their synergistic properties [120], making their presence important for overall sensory evaluation.

Antioxidant Capacity
One of the most widely used techniques for evaluating the antioxidant activity of food products is the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. This method is based on a hydrogen atom transfer reaction mechanism and uses biologically relevant free radicals, so it can be used to evaluate free radical scavenging activity in various biological systems [121,122]. The results of the ORAC assay in fruit juices and their formulations with herbal extracts of S, WT, and WTS are shown in Table 5.
In our previous study, we demonstrated high antioxidant capacity in herbal extracts of S, WT, and WTS using the ORAC assay, which was due to their high content of bioactive compounds [38]. In the present study, the formulations containing S, particularly OS formulations, had the highest antioxidant capacity (22,925.39 ± 358.43 µM TE). This is most likely due to the previously described high content of the volatile compound limonene, as well as non-volatile hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids such as rutin, kaempferol-3-O-hexoside, and kaempferol-3-rutinoside, all of which have been shown to be potent free radical scavengers [123,124]. The ability of polyphenols to scavenge free radicals is related to the substitution of hydroxyl groups in their aromatic rings [125]. In addition, phenolic compounds are assumed to be the major contributors to antioxidant activity in fruit juices [126,127]. Moreover, the synergistic interactions between rutin hydrate and kaempferol in terms of antioxidant activity have been previously reported [128]. In addition, the interactions between hydroxycinnamic acids were observed. Thus, previous research revealed synergistic effects between rosmarinic and caffeic acids as well as between rosmarinic acid and quercetin [129]. Rutin and caffeic acid have been reported to have rather less potent interactions [130]. Total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity in phytochemical extracts from various fruits may be directly correlated. The fruits with higher total phenolic contents have been found to possess enhanced antioxidant effects [131]. Moreover, other studies have confirmed our findings by showing that the addition of herbal extracts to fruit juices increases antioxidant activity as determined by the ORAC assay [132,133]. In addition to phenolic compounds, other substances that can interact with short-lived peroxide radicals, such as sugars or ascorbic acid, also contribute significantly to the antioxidant activity measured by the ORAC assay [133,134]. However, with the exception of the AWTS formulation (7397.93 ± 85.56µM TE), where the results were higher than AWT (7818.99 ± 44.93 µM TE) but lower than AS (9981.77 ± 644.10 µM TE), the formulations with the two-component WTS extract did not result in increased antioxidant activity. The dilution effect that may occur when herbal preparations are combined results in a reduction in bioactive components and lower antioxidant activity.

Herbal and Juice Material
The samples of S and WT were purchased from Suban Ltd. (Strmec Samoborski, Croatia), a certified collector and producer of medicinal and aromatic plants. The plants were harvested in 2020, stored in their original packages (paper bags), and kept in a dry and dark place. Before the extraction, the herbs were ground using an electric grinder (WSG30, Waring Commercial, Torrington, CT, USA). The concentrated apple (AJ), pineapple (PJ), and orange (OJ) juices were obtained from juice producer Stanić Beverages Ltd. (Zagreb, Croatia).

Herbal Extract Preparation
The aqueous herbal extracts S and WT were prepared according to the optimal conditions established in our previous study [38], where we explored different ratios of twoand three-component herbal extract mixtures containing sage, wild thyme, and/or laurel. A two-component wild thyme:sage (3:1, v/v) extract mixture showed the highest total phenolic content, as well as a one-component sage and wild thyme extract; therefore, these extracts were chosen for additional research. All samples were prepared in duplicate and stored at 4 • C (for no longer than 7 days).

Functional Beverages Preparation
Concentrated AJ, PJ, and OJ were diluted with water to approximately 11% soluble dry matter and enriched with S, WT, and WTS extracts. Each extract was added to each juice at 5%, 10%, and 15%. Soluble dry matter was measured using Pocket Refractometer PAL-3 (Atago, Japan). Table 6 shows various beverage formulations from fruit juices enriched with herbal extracts.

Sensory Evaluation
The sensory evaluation of enriched fruit juices was carried out by a panel group consisting of 10 trained examiners (5 females and 5 males) in a sensory laboratory set up according to the standards ISO 8589 (2007). In order to become familiar with the product and identify the descriptors to be used, panelists were trained in a two-hour session before the sensory evaluation. A scale from 1 to 10 (1-low intensity, 10-strong intensity) was used to quantify the intensity of the sensory attributes. Each evaluator noted the intensity of each sensory property with a score from 1 to 10 for each of the samples. The following sensory characteristics of the juices enriched with herbal extracts were evaluated: intensity of color, S, WT, and juice (apple, pineapple, or orange) odor, flavor, and aroma; sweet, sour, and bitter flavor; flavor harmony; and off-flavor. Sensory evaluation was performed on freshly prepared enriched fruit juices. All samples were labeled, pre-tempered to room temperature, and filled into transparent plastic jars with a volume of 100 mL immediately before evaluation. Each sample was subjected to sensory analysis in two sessions. During each session, tap water was provided to examiners to cleanse the mouth and neutralize any flavors.

UPLC-MS/MS Chromatography
An ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) system (Agilent series 1290 RRLC equipment, Agilent, Santa Clara, CA, USA) was used to separate the targeted phenolic compounds using a Fortis C18 column measuring 100 × 2.1 mm with 1.7 m particle size (Fortis Technologies Ltd., Neston, UK). Elez-Garofulić et al. [135] have previously provided descriptions of gradient settings and eluent compositions. A 64,300 QqQ mass spectrometer (Agilent) was used for the identification and quantification of the phenolic compounds in both ionization modes. In summary, ESI ion source ionized the analytes at a flow rate of 11 L h −1 and a temperature of 300 • C while using N 2 as desolvation and collision gas. Capillary voltage was set at +4 and −3.5 kV and nebulizer pressure at 40 psi. Instrument control and data analysis were performed using Agilent MassHunter Workstation Software (v. B.04.01, Agilent, Santa Clara, CA, USA). The calibration curves of the standards served as the basis for identification and quantitative determination: myricetin, rutin, caffeic acid, gallic acid, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, quercetin-3-glucoside, kaempferol-3-glucoside, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, apigenin, procyanidin B2, and luteolin. The identification of the compounds for which there are no reference standards was based on their mass spectral data and mass fragmentation pattern reports published in the literature, while quantification was performed as follows: kaempferol-3-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-Ohexoside, kaempferol-3-O-deoxyhexoside and kaempferol-3-O-pentoside were calculated corresponding to kaempferol-3-glucoside, apigenin-6-C-(O-deoxyhexosyl)-hexoside corresponding to apigenin, luteolin-6-C-hexoside according to luteolin, isorhamnetin-3-hexoside, quercetin-3-rhamnoside and quercetin-3-pentoside corresponding to quercetin-3-glucoside, epicatechin corresponding to catechin, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid hexoside according to protocatehuic acid, while p-hydroxybenzoic acid was calculated as gallic acid equivalent. All analyses were performed in duplicate, and the concentrations of analyzed compounds are expressed as mean values ± standard error of mg L −1 of the sample (n = 2 replicates).

HS-SPME/GC-MS
HS-SPME was performed using a manual SPME holder and PDMS/DVB and DVB /CAR/PDMS fibers purchased from Supelco Co. (Bellefonte, PA, USA). The fibers were conditioned according to Supelco Co. (Bellefonte, PA, USA) instructions. The 2 mL of the samples were divided into separate 5 mL glass vials and hermetically sealed with PTFE/silicone septa. The liquid phase of the sample was kept during equilibration (15 min) and HS-SPME (45 min) in the vials in a water bath at 60 • C below the water surface. A magnetic stirrer was used to perform the extraction with constant stirring of the sample (at 1000 rpm). The SPME fiber was drawn into the needle, removed from the vial, and placed in the injector (250 • C) of a gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). After 6 min, the extracted volatiles were thermally desorbed and added directly to the GC column. GC-MS analyses of volatiles were performed using a model 7890A gas chromatograph (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, USA) equipped with a HP-5MS capillary column (5% phenylmethylpolysiloxane, Agilent J and W; 30 m × 0.25 mm i.d., coating thickness 0.25 µm) and a model 5977E mass selective detector (MSD) (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, USA). The carrier gas was helium (He 1.0 mL min −1 ). The oven temperature was set at 70 • C for 2 min, and then increased to 200 • C (3 • C/min) and held for 15 min. MSD (EI mode) was used at 70 eV with a mass range of 30-300 amu. Retention indices (RIs) were calculated in terms of the retention times of the n-alkanes (C9-C25) and their comparison with data from the literature (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA) and the mass spectra of the compounds, which matched those of the mass spectral libraries Wiley 9 (Wiley, New York, NY, USA) and NIST 17 (D-Gaithersburg). All extractions (HS-SPME) were performed in duplicate (n = 2 replicates), and the results are expressed as mean values of percent composition.

ORAC Assay
The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was determined using the ORAC assay according to the slightly modified procedure described previously [136]. Measurements were performed at λex = 485 nm and λem = 520 nm using the Synergy HTX Multi-Mode microplate reader (BioTek Instruments, Inc., Winooski, VT, USA) converted to 96-well microplates. The 150 µL of fluorescein and 25 µL of the sample (0.075 M phosphate buffer for the blank test and various dilutions of Trolox standard solution) were added to the pores of the microtiter plate. The solutions thus prepared were then thermostated at 37 • C for 30 min. Subsequently, 25 µL of AAPH was added, and the change in fluorescence intensity was measured every minute for 80 min. Extracts were diluted 200-fold, measurements were performed in triplicate, and results were expressed as mean value ± standard error of µM of Trolox equivalents (µM TE).

Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA v. 8 software (StatSoft Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA). The experiments were designed as a mixed full factorial design with 3 factors at three levels. The influence of juice (apple, pineapple, orange), extract (S, WT, WTS), and extract concentration (5, 10, and 15%) were considered independent variables. The dependent variables (different sensory characteristics regarding color, odor, flavor, and aroma, and compounds identified by UPLC-MS/MS and ORAC values) were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) (parametric data) or Kruskal-Wallis test (nonparametric data) after checking the normality of the data set by Shapiro-Wilks test and the homoscedasticity of the residuals by Levene's test. A statistically significant difference was assumed at a value of p ≤ 0.05 (95% confidence interval), and marginal means were compared using Tukey's HSD test or Kruskal-Wallis test as appropriate. The mean of all results obtained for a given property is listed at the end of the tables as the grand mean.
The results of the sensory analysis (Appendices A-C- Figures A1-A3) were plotted in polar coordinates, resulting in the representation of the so-called "spider net", where the intensity of certain features is lowest in the center and increases towards the perimeter of the "net" [137].

Conclusions
The phenolic content, headspace volatile composition, antioxidant capacity, and sensory analysis of apple, pineapple, and orange juices enriched with wild thyme and sage extracts and their mixture were examined for the first time in the current study. Consumer acceptance of all beverage formulations was quite high, according to the sensory evaluation results. Among the juices, PJ had the most intense color and odor. Since the addition of herbal extract had the least impact on sensory properties, the formulations with PJ had the most harmonious flavor. OJ-based beverages had a stronger sour and bitter flavor, and their WT aroma was more dominant. Beverages with AJ had the strongest flavor, aroma, and odor of S and WT. Because the extract odor, flavor, and aroma were used at concentrations as low as 5%, 10%, or 15%, they generally received lower average scores (were less profound) than the juice-derived attributes.
Fruit juices containing herbal extracts had higher phenolic content, which increased antioxidant activity. In addition, the major identified constituents of phenolic compounds were flavonols, mainly rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol derivatives, and hydroxycinnamic acids. The antioxidant activity determined by the ORAC assay was highest in the orange formulations. Monoterpenes, including β-thujone, α-thujone, 1,8-cineole, camphor, carvacrol, 4-terpineol, and thymoquinone, were predominant in both employed fibers of headspace composition, along with other compounds such as sesquiterpenes, aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, benzene derivatives, and esters, which have an influence on biological and sensory qualities. The use of wild thyme and sage extracts and their mixture to fortify fruit juices offers enormous potential for the future creation of functional beverages, as each formulation contains a variety of diverse non-volatile and volatile compounds that affect sensory properties.  Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement:
The data presented in this study are available in this manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Sample Availability: Not applicable.