Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Effects in Herb Teas

doi:10.4236/cm.2011.21005

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Chinese Medicine, 2011, 2, 29-31

doi:10.4236/cm.2011.21005 Published Online March 2011 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/cm)

Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Effects in Herb Teas

Shizuo Toda

Department of Health Sciences, Kansai University of Health S c ie nces, Osaka, Japan

E-mail: [email protected]

Received September 22, 2010; revised November 4, 2010; accepted December 22, 2010

Abstract

Herb teas, Arabian jasmine, Balsam pear, Barley grass, Guava, Hardy rubber tree, Japanese persimmon, Jobs

tears, Oolong tea, Puerh tea and Wolofberry have been consumed as beverages for health in Asia. Oxidative

stress induces various diseases. Some of them, Arabian jasmine, Guava, Hardy rubber tree, Japanese per-

simmon, Oolong tea and Puerh tea, have high total polyphenol content and antioxidant activities. Herbs and

herbal polyphenols pay in controlling oxidation and prevent the damage by oxidation. These results showed

that some of them, Arabian jasmine, Guava, Hardy rubber tree, Japanese persimmon, Oolong tea and Puerh

tea, have high total polyphenol content and antioxidant activities. It has been demonstrated that high total

polyphenol content in the herb teas provides high antioxidant activities.

Keywords: Antioxidant Effect, Herb Tea, Polyphenol

1. Introduction

Reactive oxygen species and free radicals induce oxida-

tive stress. Oxid ative stress is related to acute lung injury,

acute respiratory distress syndrome and hyperoxia, aging,

cardiovascular diseases as hypertension and myocardial

infarction, cancer, diabetes, eye disease as age-related

macular degeneration, immune diseases as inflammation

and autoimmune disease, kidney disease, liver disease,

neurological diseases as Alzheimer’s disease, Hungting-

ton’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and pancreatitis

[1-3].

The antioxidant pays in controlling oxidation and pre-

vents the oxidation induced damage. They are, aminoa-

cid (N-acetyl cysteine, L-arginine, glutathione, glycine,

histi dine, ta urine a nd thiols), enzyme (catalase and supe-

roxide dismutase), mineral (copper, iron, selenium, zinc),

natural product (allicin, anthocyanin, biochanin A, caro-

tenoids, cucumin, ellagic acid, epigallocatechin-3-O-

gallate, flavo noid s, gluc osino lates, narin gin, p hyytic acid ,

polyphenol, querecetin), protein (alubumin, billrubin,

ceruloplasmin, glutathione, lactoferrin, thioredoxin and

transferrin), vitamine (nicotinamide, retinol, riboflavin,

vitamin C, vitamin E), and urate [1-4].

Herbs have been consumed for food and medicinal

purposes. They have a wide variety of active phyto-

chemicals, including allicin, anthocyanin, biochanin A,

carotenoids, coumarins, curcumins, ellagic acid, epigal-

locatechin-3-O-gallate, flavonoids, lignans, phthalides,

phytic acid, plant sterols, polyphenols, saponins, sulfides

and terpenoids. They contain potent antioxidant com-

pounds, prevent odidative stress and provide significant

protection against chronic diseases [5,6].

Tea is a rich source of polyphenolic flavonoids which

exhibits potent antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo.

The polyphenolic flavonoid content of tea depends upon

the type and preparation method. Randomized clinical

examining the effect of tea on putative intermediary

biomarkers suggest a potential health benefit from tea

consumption [7].

Herb teas, Arabian jasmine, Balsam pear, Barley grass,

Guava, Hardy rubber tree, Japanese persimmon, Jobs

tears, Oolong tea, Puerh tea and Wolofberry have been

consumed beverages for health in Asia, and especially

Japan.

This article investigats total polyphenol content and

antioxidant activities of these herb teas were investi-

gated.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Materials

The tested herbs, Arabian jasmine, Balsam pear, Barley

grass, Chameleon plant, Guava, Hardy rubber tree, Jap-

anese persimmon, Jobs tears, Oolong tea, Puerh tea and

Wolofberry, were from Yamamoto Kampo Co. (Aichi,

Japan). They were of com mercial grade.

S. TODA

Ascorbic acid, glutathione and tannic acid were pur-

chased from Wako Pure Chemicals Co. (Osaka, Japan).

PAO-antioxidant assay kit was purchased from Japan

Institute for the Control of Aging (Shizuoka, Japan).

Other common laboratory reagents were of analytical

grade.

2.2. Preparation of the Herb Tea-Water Extract

1 g of the tested herb was extracted with 20 mL of hot

water and stirred for 20 min. The water extract was fil-

tered. The filtrate was allowed to stand at 25˚C. The fil-

trate was diluted to 1 % with water as test sa mple .

2.3. Determination of Total Polyphenol Content

The total polyphenol content of the water extract was

determined by the Folin-Ciocallteu colorimetric method

[8]. 0.5 mL tested sample was mixed with 0.5 mL of

Folin-Ciocallteu reagent and 0.5 mL of 10% sodium

carbonate solution. After mixture was incubated at room

temperature for 1 h, the absorbance was measured at 760

nm. The total polyphenol was expressed as mg/g tannic

acid equivalent.

2.4. Antioxidant Assay

The antioxidant activit y of test sample was assayed by

PAO-antioxidant assay kit (Japan Institute for the Con-

trol of Aging, Shizuoka, Japan). The antioxidant activit y

was mmol/L as copper reducing power [9].

2.5. Statistical Analysis

The values were expressed by the means of ± standard

deviation (SD) of five experiments. The results were

analyzed by the nonparametric analysis of variance

(ANOVA)- Scheffe F-test.

3. Resul t s

Table 1 shows the total polyphenol content of the herb

tea-water extract. The total polyphenol content of Ara-

bian jasmine, Guava, Hardy rubber tree, Japanese per-

simmon, Oolong tea and Puerh tea-water extract was

more than that of othe rs.

Table 2 shows the results of antioxidant assay. The

antioxidant activities of Arabian jasmine, Guava, Hardy

rubber tree, Japanese persimmon, Oolong tea and Puerh

tea-water extract were higher than those of others at 50.0

mg/mL of the herb tea-water extract. The antioxidant

activities of ascorbic acid and glutathione are 11.38 ±

1.76 and 2.63 ± 1.27 mmol/mM at 1.0 mM of those rea-

gents.

4. Discussion

Herbal medicines have been consumed and played an

important role in the world. Wargovin demonstrated that

the widespread use of herbs either directly or indirectly

supplements, may prevent cancer, and help health pro-

motion [10]. The tested herbs, Arabian jasmine, Balsam

pear, Barley grass, Hardy rubber tree, Japanese persim-

mon, Jobs tears, Oolong tea, Puerh tea and Wolofberry,

were consumed as beverages for health in Asia.

Green tea polyphenols, epicatechin, epigallocatechin

gallic acid and ep igallocate chin gallate in hibit pr od uction

of oxidative stress. Oxidative stresses induce various

diseases, heart disease, renal disease and failure, skin

Table 1. Total polyphenol content of herb te a-water extract.

Herb tea-water extract Total polyph enol content (mg/g)

Arabian jasmine 101.2 ± 17.8

Balsam pe ar 14.5 ± 2.6

Barley grass 10.5 ± 1.5

Guava 83.0 ± 5.9

Hardy rubber tree 43.4 ± 4.8

Japanes e persimmon 41.3 ± 6.7

Jobs tears 4.2 ± 1.4

Oolong tea 120.9 ± 14.8

Puerh tea 40.4 ± 7.2

Wolofberry 17.1 ± 4.2

The Total polyphe nol content of the h erb t ea–wate r extract was determined

by Folin-Ciocallteu colorimetric method. The value was expressed as the

mean ± SD of five experiments.

Table 2. Antioxidant activity of herb tea-water extract.

Herb tea-water extract Antioxidant activity

Arabian jasmine 14 4. 0 ± 1.4 mmol / L

Balsam pe ar 19.7 ± 2.4 mmol/L

Barley grass 9.2 ± 0. 5 m m ol/L

Guava 172.5 ± 2.0 mmol/L

Hardy rubber tree 45.5 ± 2.3 mmol/L

Japanes e persimmon 65.7 ± 1.8 mmol/L

Jobs tears 7.4 ± 1.7 mmol/ L

Oolong tea 184.8 ± 2. 7 mmo l/L

Puerh tea 59.1 ± 2.2 mmol/L

Wolofberry 20.1 ± 0.7 mmol/L

Ascorbic acid 139. 7 ± 0.5 mmol /L

Glutathione 76.6 ± 9.5 mmol/L

The antioxidant activity of test sample was assayed by PAO-antioxidant

assay kit. The value was expressed as the mean ± SD of five experiments.

S. TODA

exposure damage caused by ultraviolet rays, and diseases

associated with aging. Green tea polyphenols have anti-

oxidant effects, suc h as cancer prevention and inhibitio n,

obesity and weight controlling. [11]. The daily intake of

pol ypheno l ha s be en sho wed ~1 g/d. give n diet including

so me co mmon fruit s, vegetabl es and beverages [12].

The presented herb teas have various effects [13-22].

Tables 1 and 2 show that some of them, Arabian jasmine,

Guava, Hardy rubber tree, Japanese persimmon, Oolong

tea and Puerh tea, have high total polyphenol content and

antioxidant activities.

These results demonstrated that the high total poly-

pheno l conte nt i n the he rb te as pr ovide s high antioxidant

effects.

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