TITLE:
Determination of Residual Catechins, Polyphenolic Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Developed Theaflavin-3,3’-Digallate Rich Black Teas
AUTHORS:
Samuel Kimutai, John Wanyoko, Thomas Kinyanjui, Stephen Karori, Augustine Muthiani, Francis Wachira
KEYWORDS:
Total Polyphenols, Antioxidant Activity, Residual Catechins, Theaflavins
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.7 No.3,
March
21,
2016
ABSTRACT: This study was carried out to characterize total residual catechins and their fractions, polyphenolic
contents and antioxidant activities of black teas enriched with high levels of theaflavin-3,3’-digallate. The made teas were processed from eleven selected cultivars. A comparative study was
carried out between the processed teas and those from commercially grown Kenyan cultivars in
relation to the above chemical parameters. A correlation matrix analysis was also conducted to
find out whether a relationship existed between the antioxidant activities and the said chemical
parameters. The total residual catechins were found to range between 3.10% and 8.08%. The total
polyphenol levels varied between 19.00% and 28.90%, while the antioxidant activities of the teas
ranged from 82.70% to 91.70%. There was a significant p