DEVELOPMENT OF POLYHERBAL SUGAR-FREE CHOCOLATE CUBES FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT

Kalyani Kailas Bankar*, Dr. Sachin V. Datkhile, Sakshi Vishnu Bhagwat

Chocolate is a highly acceptable food matrix for the delivery of bioactive ingredients, but its conventional sugar content limits its suitability for health-oriented formulations. Sugar-free dark chocolate enriched with botanicals therefore represents a promising functional confectionery platform, particularly when the added ingredients contribute antioxidant and stress-supportive relevance. Dark chocolate itself contains flavanols, catechins, epicatechin, and procyanidins, and its polyphenol-rich profile has been associated with antioxidant and stress-related metabolic effects in humans. In this study, a sugar-free dark chocolate bar fortified with ashwagandha, tulsi, and lemon balm was formulated using stevia as a non-nutritive sweetener. The formulation aimed to combine cocoa-derived phenolics with herbal bioactives to improve nutraceutical value while maintaining acceptable sensory quality. Standard physicochemical analyses, phytochemical quantification, targeted marker profiling, sensory testing, and storage stability assessments were incorporated to evaluate product feasibility. The combined herbal formulation demonstrated the broadest bioactive spectrum and the highest antioxidant potential, supporting its development as an anti-stress functional confectionery with nutraceutical relevance.