Statistical mixture design optimization of extraction media and mobile phase compositions for the characterization of green tea

The influence of different solvents on the extraction medium and the RP-HPLC mobile phase composition were investigated by statistical mixture designs to optimize solvent proportions to prepare the fingerprint of a medicinal herbal extract. For modeling, the number of peaks was used as a measure of fingerprint information. The optimum compositions of solvent to extract chemical substances from green tea and for mobile phase chromatographic analysis were ethyl acetate/ ethanol/dichloromethane (20:5:75 v/v/v) and MeOH/ACN/water (7.5:57.5:35 v/v/v), respectively. This system results in 26 peaks in the chromatographic fingerprint. These results show that an incorrect choice of modifiers for mobile phase composition and solvent extraction hampers the detection of a maximum number of peaks and produces a poor chromatographic fingerprint.     

高效液相色谱法测定绿茶中茶多酚及咖啡因

应用高效液相色谱法测定绿茶中没食子酸(GA)、咖啡因(CAF)及5种儿茶素类化合物,包括儿茶素(C)、表儿茶素(EC)、表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(EGCG)、表儿茶素没食子酸酯(ECG)、没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(GCG)。对国家标准方法GB/T 8313-2008中流动相组成进行了调整,用0.5%乙酸代替2%的乙酸,在AT.Lichrom ODS色谱柱(4.6mm×250mm,5μm)上进行分离,流量为1.0mL.min-1,在波长278nm处进行紫外检测。7种组分在40min内达到完全分离。7种组分的质量浓度分别在一定的范围内与其峰面积呈线性关系。方法用于绿茶的分析,7种组分的加标回收率在96.0%～102.8%之间。     

Extraction of Catechin Compounds from Green Tea with a New Green Solvent

An emerging green solvent called a deep eutectic solvent（DES） was applied to the extraction and determination of catechin（C）,（＋）epicatechin gailate（ECG） and （-）epigallocatechin gallate（EGCG） from Chinese green tea.After evaluating different combinations of them by extraction methods and DESs,a DES-based extraction method was established and optimized by a systematic investigation of the influencing factors.As a result,a total of 3.629,35.25 or 114.2 mg/g catechin,（＋）epicatechin gallate or （-）epigaliocatechin gallate were extracted respectively under optimal conditions with extraction efficiencies of 82.7％,92.3％ and 97.0％,respectively.By comparing with other common used solvents for extracting catechin compounds,DESs were proved to be potential extraction solvents for bioactive ingredients.     

Protective Effects of Green Tea Supplementation against Lead-Induced Neurotoxicity in Mice

The use of natural products as therapeutic agents is rapidly growing recently. In the current study, we investigated the protective effects of green tea supplementation on lead-induced toxicity in mice. Forty albino mice were divided into four groups as follows: A: control group; B: green tea receiving group; C: lead-intoxicated group; and D: lead-intoxicated group supplemented with green tea. At the end of the experiment, the animals were tested for neurobehavioral and biochemical alterations. Green tea was analyzed through Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. We found that supplementation with green tea ameliorated the lead-associated increase in body weight and blood glucose. Green tea supplementation also changed the blood picture that was affected due to lead toxicity and ameliorated lead-induced dyslipidemia. The group of mice that were supplemented with green tea has shown positive alterations in locomotory, anxiety, memory, and learning behaviors. The GC/MS analysis revealed many active ingredients among which the two most abundant were caffeine and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester. We concluded that green tea supplementation has several positive effects on the lead-induced neurotoxicity in mice and that these effects may be attributed to its main two active ingredients.     

绿茶的色谱指纹谱分类模式初探

以绿茶的数字化色谱指纹谱为基础,探讨用指纹谱来分类绿茶的新模式。各批次绿茶样品间的两两重叠率可作为筛选构建特征指纹谱样品的依据,14个绿茶样品按照特征指纹检出率和总差异率的不同初步划分为3个级别。本法从内在组成上为绿茶的分类提供了一个客观量化的界定标准,有别于过去凭借外形口感的经验评估,可为茶叶乃至自然界其它植物的化学分类提供新的视角。     

超临界萃取茶叶中茶多酚的提取与应用

本文通过对绿茶茶叶的浸提试验,确定了超临界二氧化碳萃取茶多酚的最佳工艺条件,并通过与溶剂法萃取茶多酚的比较,确定超临界二氧化碳萃取茶多酚的可行性,最后对茶多酚在食品保鲜中的应用做了分析研究,发现茶多酚是比较理想的保鲜剂。     

碧螺春绿茶对碱性染料灿烂绿的吸附

为了探讨碧螺春茶叶用于吸附灿烂绿的可能性,研究了碧螺春绿茶吸附灿烂绿的最佳吸附条件及解吸附条件。研究结果表明,在吸附条件为当溶液起始p H值为4.1,茶叶与灿烂绿质量比为833∶1,接触时间为45 min,室温(25±1)℃时,茶叶对灿烂绿吸附率达80%,吸附量为0.96 mg/g。对Na OH、CH_3COOH和HCl3种解吸附剂的研究表明,最佳解吸附剂是Na OH,解吸1.5 h解吸率最高达93.20%。该吸附过程符合Langmuir等温吸附方程,属于单分子层吸附。吸附过程热力学参数自由能变化ΔG0,焓变ΔH=102.32 k J/mol0,熵变ΔS=0.33 k J/(mol·K)0,说明吸附过程是自发的吸热熵增过程。     

Green Tea Suppresses Brain Aging

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the intake of green tea is effective in reducing the risk of dementia. The most important component of green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Both EGCG and epigallocatechin (EGC) have been suggested to cross the blood–brain barrier to reach the brain parenchyma, but EGCG has been found to be more effective than EGC in promoting neuronal differentiation. It has also been suggested that the products of EGCG decomposition by the intestinal microbiota promote the differentiation of nerve cells and that both EGCG and its degradation products act on nerve cells with a time lag. On the other hand, the free amino acids theanine and arginine contained in green tea have stress-reducing effects. While long-term stress accelerates the aging of the brain, theanine and arginine suppress the aging of the brain due to their anti-stress effect. Since this effect is counteracted by EGCG and caffeine, the ratios between these green tea components are important for the anti-stress action. In this review, we describe how green tea suppresses brain aging, through the activation of nerve cells by both EGCG and its degradation products, and the reductions in stress achieved by theanine and arginine.     

Effect of Water Hardness on Catechin and Caffeine Content in Green Tea Infusions

The health benefits of green tea are associated with its high catechin content. In scientific studies, green tea is often prepared with deionized water. However, casual consumers will simply use their local tap water, which differs in alkalinity and mineral content depending on the region. To assess the effect of water hardness on catechin and caffeine content, green tea infusions were prepared with synthetic freshwater in five different hardness levels, a sodium bicarbonate solution, a mineral salt solution, and deionized water. HPLC analysis was performed with a superficially porous pentafluorophenyl column. As water hardness increased, total catechin yield decreased. This was mostly due to the autoxidation of epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and caffeine showed greater chemical stability. Autoxidation was promoted by alkaline conditions and resulted in the browning of the green tea infusions. High levels of alkaline sodium bicarbonate found in hard water can render some tap waters unsuitable for green tea preparation.     

Profiling of In Vitro Bioaccessibility and Intestinal Uptake of Flavonoids after Consumption of Commonly Available Green Tea Types

The aim of this study was to profile the bioaccessibility and intestinal absorption of epicatechins and flavonols in different forms of green tea and its formulation: loose leaf tea, powdered tea, 35% catechins containing GTE, and GTE formulated with green tea-derived polysaccharide and flavonols (CATEPLUS™). The bioaccessibillity and intestinal absorption of epicatechins and flavonols was investigated by using an in vitro digestion model system with Caco-2 cells. The bioaccessibility of total epicatechins in loose leaf tea, powdered tea, GTE, and CATEPLUS™ was 1.27%, 2.30%, 22.05%, and 18.72%, respectively, showing that GTE and CATEPLUS™ had significantly higher bioaccessibility than powdered tea and loose leaf tea. None of the flavonols were detected in powdered tea and loose leaf tea, but the bioaccessibility of the total flavonols in GTE and CATEPLUS™ was 85.74% and 66.98%, respectively. The highest intestinal absorption of epicatechins was found in CATEPLUS™ (171.39 ± 5.39 ng/mg protein) followed by GTE (57.38 ± 9.31), powdered tea (3.60 ± 0.67), and loose leaf tea (2.94 ± 1.03). The results from the study suggest that formulating green tea extracts rich in catechins with second components obtained from green tea processing could enhance the bioavailability of epicatechins.     

超临界CO_2络合萃取绿茶中Cu、Pb和Cd的研究

本文采用超临界CO2络合萃取法萃取绿茶中的Cu、Pb和Cd。分别考察了不同改性剂和络合剂、萃取压力、萃取温度以及静态和动态萃取时间对三种重金属的萃取率影响。研究结果表明:以磷酸三丁酯(TBP)/HNO3为络合剂,乙醇为改性剂,在20MPa、333K、静态和动态萃取时间分别为30min的最佳条件下,Cu、Pb和Cd的萃取率分别为78.3%、73.2%和69.5%。     

Beneficial Effects of Green Tea Catechins on Female Reproductive Disorders: A Review

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide after water, and green tea accounts for 20% of the total tea consumption. The health benefits of green tea are attributed to its natural antioxidants, namely, catechins, which are phenolic compounds with diverse beneficial effects on human health. The beneficial effects of green tea and its major bioactive component, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on health include high antioxidative, osteoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-diabetic effects. However, the review of green tea’s benefits on female reproductive disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and dysmenorrhea, remains scarce. Thus, this review summarises current knowledge on the beneficial effects of green tea catechins on selected female reproductive disorders. Green tea or its derivative, EGCG, improves endometriosis mainly through anti-angiogenic, anti-fibrotic, anti-proliferative and proapoptotic mechanisms. Moreover, green tea enhances ovulation and reduces cyst formation in PCOS while improving generalised hyperalgesia, and reduces plasma corticosterone levels and uterine contractility in dysmenorrhea. However, information on clinical trials is inadequate for translating excellent findings on green tea benefits in animal endometriosis models. Thus, future clinical intervention studies are needed to provide clear evidence of the green tea benefits with regard to these diseases.     

Effect of Ferrous Ion on Heat-Induced Aroma Deterioration of Green Tea Infusion

Aroma deterioration is one of the biggest problems in processing tea beverages. The aroma of tea infusion deteriorates fast during heat sterilization and the presence of ferrous ion (Fe²⁺) aggravates it. The underlying mechanism remains unveiled. In this study, Fe²⁺ was verified to deteriorate the aroma quality of green tea infusion with heat treatment. Catechins were necessary for Fe²⁺-mediated aroma deterioration. By enhancing the degradation of catechins, Fe²⁺ dramatically increased the production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Fe²⁺ and H₂O₂ together exacerbated the aroma of green tea infusion with heat treatment. GC-MS analysis revealed that the presence of Fe²⁺ enhanced the loss of green/grassy volatiles and promoted the formation of new volatiles with diversified aroma characteristics, resulting in a dull scent of green tea infusion. Our results revealed how Fe²⁺ induced aroma deterioration of green tea infusion with heat treatment and could help guide tea producers in attenuating the aroma deterioration of tea infusion during processing.     

Novel HPLC Method to Evaluate the Quality and Identify the Origins of Longjing Green Tea

A novel model of evaluating the quality and identifying the origins of Longjing green tea was established for the first time in this study. The analysis procedures in the model included the structure speculation of the major compounds and the identification of the bioactive components, the establishment of the fingerprint, the multiple analysis of the fingerprint, and the quantitative determination of the bioactive components. All the analysis procedures were conducted on an HPLC coupled with diode array detection (DAD) and an ion-trap coupled with a time-of-flight mass spectrometry (IT-TOF-MS). In this study, 13 batches of Longjing green tea from five traditional production sites and a new production site in Hangzhou, China were selected to establish the model. The result showed that using the model, the difference between Longjing green tea from the traditional and the new production sites was revealed successfully. It indicated that the model could be successfully applied to evaluate the quality and identify the origin of unknown Longjing green tea.     

Green Tea and Its Relation to Human Gut Microbiome

Green tea can influence the gut microbiota by either stimulating the growth of specific species or by hindering the development of detrimental ones. At the same time, gut bacteria can metabolize green tea compounds and produce smaller bioactive molecules. Accordingly, green tea benefits could be due to beneficial bacteria or to microbial bioactive metabolites. Therefore, the gut microbiota is likely to act as middle man for, at least, some of the green tea benefits on health. Many health promoting effects of green tea seems to be related to the inter-relation between green tea and gut microbiota. Green tea has proven to be able to correct the microbial dysbiosis that appears during several conditions such as obesity or cancer. On the other hand, tea compounds influence the growth of bacterial species involved in inflammatory processes such as the release of LPS or the modulation of IL production; thus, influencing the development of different chronic diseases. There are many studies trying to link either green tea or green tea phenolic compounds to health benefits via gut microbiota. In this review, we tried to summarize the most recent research in the area.     

Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review

Japanese matcha is a type of powdered green tea, grown in a traditional way. Shading of the plants during the growth period enhances the processes of synthesis and accumulation of biologically active compounds, including theanine, caffeine, chlorophyll and various types of catechins. Green tea contains four main catechins, i.e., (−)-epicatechin (EC), (−)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), of which the latter is the most active and abundant and matcha is their best condensed source. Due to its unique chemical composition and prized flavour, which sets it apart from other tea beverages, it is considered the highest quality tea. Its health-promoting properties are attributed to the high content of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances. Studies confirming the high antioxidant potential of tea beverages claim that it originates from the considerable content of catechins, a type of phenolic compound with beneficial effects on human health. Due to its potential for preventing many diseases and supporting cognitive function, regular consumption of matcha may have a positive effect on both physical and mental health. The aim of this review was to compile the health benefits of matcha tea. It is the first such review to be undertaken, and presents its main bioactive compounds in a systematic manner.     

基于近红外光谱技术与化学计量学的绿茶无损鉴别方法研究

该文利用近红外光谱技术结合化学计量学方法开发了不同品种绿茶的无损鉴别方法。通过近红外光谱技术得到了8个品种绿茶样品的近红外光谱,比较了单一以及优化组合光谱预处理方法对光谱的影响,利用无监督的主成分分析(PCA)与有监督的线性判别分析方法(LDA)分别构建了茶叶品种鉴别模型。结果表明：对比单一预处理方法,优化组合预处理具有更优的鉴别准确性。标准正态变量变换预处理消除了茶叶样品大小不均造成的光谱散射影响,一阶导数预处理实现了变动背景的消除,减少了基线漂移的影响,突出了图谱中的有效信息,采用二者相结合的预处理方式并结合无监督的主成分分析法可实现较为准确的绿茶样品种类鉴别分析,准确率达75.0%。此外,采用有监督的线性判别分析方法处理原始光谱数据,可达到100%的鉴别准确率,但该方法需提供类别的先验知识。因此,采用近红外光谱技术和化学计量学相结合的手段可实现不同品种绿茶的快速无损鉴别。     

加速溶剂萃取-固相萃取净化-气相色谱-串联质谱法检测茶叶中9种拟除虫菊酯类农药残留

建立了加速溶剂萃取（ASE）-固相萃取净化（SPE）-气相色谱-串联质谱（GC-MS/MS）同时测定茶叶中9种拟除虫菊酯类农药残留的方法。ASE萃取溶剂为丙酮-正己烷（1：1,v/v）,萃取温度为100℃,萃取压力为10 MPa,加热时间为3 min,静态萃取时间为5 min,循环1次,冲洗体积为40%萃取池体积,氮气吹扫100 s。萃取结束后用Cleanert TPT固相萃取柱净化,净化液浓缩定容后,采用GC-MS/MS测定,外标法定量。9种拟除虫菊酯类农药在2~1000 μg/L范围内呈现良好的线性关系,相关系数（r²）均大于0.99,方法检出限为0.2~4.5 μg/kg,定量限为0.8~15.0 μg/kg。在绿茶、红茶空白基质中做加标回收试验,添加水平为0.02、0.1、0.4 mg/kg以及定量限水平,得到的平均回收率为69.87%~110.0%,相对标准偏差（RSD）为0.7%~11.2%。该方法背景干扰低、灵敏度高、重现性好、回收率稳定,适用于茶叶中拟除虫菊酯类农药残留量的检测。     

Significant Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro by a Green Tea Catechin,a Catechin-Derivative,and Black Tea Galloylated Theaflavins

Potential effects of tea and its constituents on SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed in vitro. Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 was decreased to 1/100 to undetectable levels after a treatment with black tea, green tea, roasted green tea, or oolong tea for 1 min. An addition of (−) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) significantly inactivated SARS-CoV-2, while the same concentration of theasinensin A (TSA) and galloylated theaflavins including theaflavin 3,3′-di-O-gallate (TFDG) had more remarkable anti-viral activities. EGCG, TSA, and TFDG at 1 mM, 40 µM, and 60 µM, respectively, which are comparable to the concentrations of these compounds in tea beverages, significantly reduced infectivity of the virus, viral RNA replication in cells, and secondary virus production from the cells. EGCG, TSA, and TFDG significantly inhibited interaction between recombinant ACE2 and RBD of S protein. These results suggest potential usefulness of tea in prevention of person-to-person transmission of the novel coronavirus.