Authors
Title
Abstract
The objective of the study was to compare the composition of biologically active compounds, first of all antioxidants, contained in the infusions of green teas, as well as to determine the diversity of antioxidant properties of those compounds measured towards the linoleic acid peroxides and ABTS•+ radical cations. Moreover, the other objective of the study was to assess the sensory quality of the infusions of the teas investigated. The teas studied originated from countries located in various part of the world. A high diversity was found in the contents of polyphenols, ascorbic acid, theine, and theanine in the infusions made, and the lowest content of active compounds was determined in the tea from Taiwan. This fact resulted in its worst antioxidant properties under the linoleic acid auto-oxidation process and towards the ABTS•+ radicals. Furthermore, small differences were found in the activity of three subsequent infusions obtained from the same batch of leaves. The tea from Taiwan appeared to be the best acceptable one from the sensory point of view, although it contained the lowest amounts of pro-healthy components. The teas from Java, Nepal, and Vietnam significantly differed in their sensory desirability.
Keywords
green tea, antioxidant activity, ABTS•+, sensory assessment