Valorization of post-distillation Helichrysum italicum biomass for functional beverage infusions.

Helichrysum italicum (HI) is an aromatic plant primarily cultivated for essential oil production, though its water extracts also have known health effects. Distillation produces large amounts of plant residue that still contains water-soluble bioactive polyphenols. This study compared the chemical composition of infusions prepared from HI before and after distillation and evaluated their short-term physiological effects. To improve sensory acceptability, HI was blended with the herbal mixture Vitalplant. HPLC analysis showed that most water-soluble polyphenols remain extractable from the post-distillation residue, resulting in comparable compositions of the infusions and antioxidative potential. In a crossover trial, participants consumed either Vitalplant alone (N = 20) or mixtures with distilled (N = 21) or undistilled HI (N = 22) for one week. The beverages were well accepted, with the distilled HI formulation showing higher score than the one containing undistilled HI. All beverages were well tolerated, with no gastrointestinal or adverse biochemical effects. These findings support the feasibility of reusing post-distillation HI biomass for beverage production, providing a potential approach for biomass valorization in line with circular bioeconomy principles.