Carbon-13 CP-MAS nuclear magnetic resonance studies of teas

13C CP-MAS NMR spectra of green and black tea were obtained and assigned based on the solid-state NMR spectra of tropolone, (+)-catechin hydrate, gallic acid, caffeine and flavone derivatives. The peak shape and chemical shifts observed for carbonyl carbons in CP-MAS spectra of teas indicate the existence of different chemical species, mainly free phenollic acids and ester derivatives of flavonoids. The peak patterns allow to establish differences between both teas.