## 3 Results and Discussion
### Evaluation of the Infusions of Herbal Mixes
#### 3.2.3 Effect of Brewing Time on Total Flavonoids and Terpenoids of Mix 3  
In order to evaluate the effect of brewing time on phytochemical extraction, an experiment was conducted with brewing times of 6, 10, and 60 min. The total flavonoid and terpenoid contents were measured on Mix 3 infused in 100 mL of boiled water, and the results are listed in Table 6. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Phytochemicals**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Time (min)**} \\ \cline{2-4}  & **6** & **10** & **60** \\ \hline Flavonoids & 1.02 b  \(\pm\) 0.18 & **1.17 b  \(\pm\) 0.009** & 1.54 a  \(\pm\) 0.19 \\ \hline Terpenoids & 12.47 c  \(\pm\) 0.16 & **14.41  \(\pm\) 0.16** & 13.68 b  \(\pm\) 0.17 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Values are presented as mean \(\pm\) SD. Means followed by a different letter s\({}^{-}\)c are significantly different at an alpha level of 0.05% according to a Least Significant Difference test.  
\end{table} 
Table 6: Effect of brewing time on total flavonoid and terpenoid contents of Mix 3 infusions. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Sample/Water** & **Mix 1** & **Mix 2** & **Mix 3** & **Mix 4** & **Mix 5** \\ \hline
1/100 & 5.1 b  \(\pm\) 1.53 & 5.8 abc  \(\pm\) 1.64 & **6.4 a  \(\pm\) 1.63** & 6.1 ab  \(\pm\) 1.61 & 4.8 c  \(\pm\) 1.85 \\ \hline
1/150 & 4.9 b  \(\pm\) 1.16 & 5.4 b  \(\pm\) 1.18 & **8.5 a  \(\pm\) 0.64** & 6.2 b  \(\pm\) 1.47 & 5 b  \(\pm\) 1.60 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Values are expressed as mean (\(n\) = 45) \(\pm\) standard deviation (SD). Means followed by a different letter s\({}^{-}\)c are significantly different at an alpha level of 0.05% according to a Least Significant Difference test. Mix 1: 100% _C. operculatus_; Mix 2: 90% _C. operculatus_; 10% _M. arrensis_; Mix 3: 70% _C. operculatus_; 30% _M. arrensis_; Mix 4: 50% _C. operculatus_, 50% _M. arrensis_; and Mix 5: 100% _M. arrensis_. Score 1 = extremely dislike; 2 = dislike very much; 3 = moderately dislike; 4 = slightly dislike; 5 = neither like nor dislike; 6 = slightly like; 7 = moderately like; 8 = like very much; and 9 = extremely like.  
\end{table} 
Table 5: Hedonic scaling evaluation of herbal blend beverage. In terms of the total flavonoids, the brewing time of 60 min leads to an increase in the phytochemical content (Table 6). Their average concentration is 1.54 mg QE/g of dry weight (Table 6). A comparison of the flavonoid contents of the herbal blend brewed in 6 min, 10 min, and 60 min showed that the content increased with longer brewing time. This is somewhat logical and in accordance with the previous results of [PERSON] et al. [29]. The longer duration of brewing provided a longer time of contact between the brewing water and the herbal blend. The extraction process improved, and the total flavonoids were increased because flavonoids are water-soluble compounds. However, somewhat different results were observed for terpenoids. The herbal blend brewed in 60 min exhibited a significantly lower terpenoid content. The content seemed to increase at first and then started to decrease after 10 min of brewing. In our experimental design, the maximum value was obtained at 10 min and reached a value of 14.4 mg/g of dry weight. With 10 min of brewing, the _C. operculatus_ and _M. aureusis_ drink showed a brownish-to-yellow color. It exerted a natural refreshing mint flavor while maintaining the slightly bitter taste and specific unique aroma of _C. operculatus_. The herbal blend prepared with the 10 min brewing time received the highest score (8 points). The combination of phytochemicals and sensory analysis allowed us to determine that the best brewing time for the herbal blend beverage was 10 min. The most appropriate herbal blend was 2 g of _C. operculatus_ and _M. aureusis_, with proportions of 70% and 30%, respectively, and a brewing time of 10 min in 100 mL and (better in) 150 mL of boiling water. The levels of quercetin and menthol were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC).