Correlation of theaflavins content and valuations of kenyan black teas

Correlation between theaflavins content and tasters' valuations of Kenyan black teas generally give positive but statistically non-significant correlation coefficients. In 105 correlations using 12 samples each, only eight analyses gave statistically significant (P?0.05) correlations. Theaflavins contributed positively towards valuations but Kenyan black plain teas have high and possibly above optimum theaflavins content. Consequently other factors appear to play major roles in tea pricing, for example the generally higher prices realised by Kenyan black plain teas compared to Malawi black plain teas can only be partly attributed to the higher theaflavins content of the Kenyan teas.     

Rapid method for measuring thearubigins and theaflavins in black tea using C18 sorbent cartridges

This communication describes the routine use of small inexpensive C₁₈ cartridges for rapid separation and accurate measurement of both thearubigins (TR) and theaflavins (TF) in a liquor brewed from black tea. The slow, traditional method overestimates TR content because of interference from flavonol glycosides. Comparison is also made favourably with other methods available for estimating total TF and sometimes TR in tea.     

Seasonal variations in theaflavins,thearubigins, total colour and brightness of Kangra orthodox tea (Camellia sinensis (L) O Kuntze) in Himachal Pradesh

Variations in theaflavins, thearubigins, total colour and brightness of orthodox black tea were studied for four consecutive years (1993–1996) with a view to evaluating the effects of changing weather conditions on the quality of Kangra tea. A degree of withering of 600–650 mg g⁻¹ during the first, second and fourth seasons was optimal for the development of significantly higher brightness and total colour characteristics. The quality of rainy season teas suffered owing to high chlorophyll content and low degree of withering. Hot air circulation through the withering troughs to assist evaporation of leaf moisture increased the brightness and total colour of rainy season teas. High atmospheric demand during the dry season assisted loss of green leaf moisture, but withering and brightness exhibited significant negative correlations with high relative humidity and rainfall. Summer season teas were superior in their total colour and brightness. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

闪式提取红茶中茶黄素的工艺研究

探讨了闪式提取红茶中茶黄素的工艺。以茶黄素得率为指标,在单因素实验基础上,选取乙醇浓度、提取时间、料液比、提取次数为影响因素,利用正交试验对提取工艺进行优化。结果表明,闪式提取茶黄素的最佳工艺条件为:乙醇浓度60%,提取时间80s,料液比1:20(g/mL),提取次数2次。在此条件下,茶黄素得率为(4.98±0.05)mg/g。与传统加热回流法相比,闪式提取法得率提高7.56%,乙醇用量减少31.43%,提取时间大大缩短。闪式提取是一种快速有效提取红茶中茶黄素的方法。     

小叶种红茶发酵外观色差及其主要品质成分相关性

目的依据形成红茶优良品质的理化变化原理,借助现代科学仪器无损检测手段判断小叶种红茶发酵程度。方法在小叶种红茶发酵过程中,对发酵叶色差及不同发酵程度茶样的儿茶素、茶黄素等成分进行跟踪检测。结果发酵叶色差"L,a,b"值逐步上升或下降,其值在180~240 min均有"稳态"的存在,结合不同发酵程度茶样感官审评结果,得出"稳态"即是小叶种红茶发酵的最佳品质状态,尤以210 min最佳。儿茶素含量呈现逐渐下降趋势,茶黄素含量呈现的先增长再下降的变化趋势,茶红素与茶黄素比值的变化情况,均与发酵叶色外观差值存在显著性相关。结论采用统计方法分析色差值与审评结果之间的相关性,探讨小叶种红茶发酵适度的判别指标,提出适度发酵相关判别式ΔL≤0.10,Δa≤0.16,Δb≤0.16和品质的线性回归方程。     

高效液相色谱法测定速溶滇红茶制品中茶黄素含量

目的 建立高效液相色谱法测定速溶滇红茶制品中茶黄素含量的分析方法.方法 样品提取后,采用Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18色谱柱分离,以0.1％甲酸乙腈-0.1％甲酸水溶液为流动相进行梯度洗脱,流速为1 mL/min,柱温30℃,检测波长为280 nm,外标法定量.结果 4种茶黄素单体在各自浓度范围内线性关系良...     

Effects of withering on the main physical properties of withered tea leaves and the sensory quality of congou black tea

To explore the relationship between the moisture content of withered tea leaves and their physical properties (i.e., elasticity, plasticity, flexibility, and texture) during withering, texture analyzer was employed to test the elasticity and flexibility of withered tea leaves with different moisture contents. The texture was evaluated by computer vision technology. The withered tea leaves with different moisture contents were used to process congou black tea, which was then subjected to sensory evaluation. Results showed that good elasticity, optimal flexibility, and plasticity were achieved when the moisture content of the withered tea leaves of Fudingdabai comprising two leaves and one bud varied arranging from 65.51 to 61.48%. The sensory evaluation of congou black tea revealed that moderate withering was better than long-term withering and that both moderate and long-term withering were better than no withering during processing. The moisture content was significantly correlated with the flexibility and plasticity of the withered tea leaves. Fresh tea leaves undergoing moderate withering with moisture content of 65.51–61.48% to process congou black tea, good tea shape and liquor color were achieved. This study provided new evidence that the moisture content of withered tea leaves significantly affected the quality of black tea.     

基于单宁酶处理原料制备的高茶黄素速溶红茶品质分析

目的 研究基于单宁酶发酵加工的红茶原料,制备高茶黄素含量的速溶红茶。方法 以速溶红茶中的茶黄素含量为主要评价指标,对红茶原料进行两种提取溶剂处理和不同茶叶状态,即茶叶和茶叶磨碎样处理,同时分析其感官品质及其它化学成分含量。结果 本研究发现用60%乙醇提取工艺制备的速溶红茶中,茶黄素含量显著高于水提取工艺,茶叶状态则是茶粉原料浸提效果显著高于茶叶原料浸提效果,且速溶红茶中茶黄素含量达到2.3%,是传统红茶原料中茶黄素的3倍,速溶红茶得率达到了38%。结论 以高茶黄素茶叶为原料,并将其磨成粉,用60%乙醇提取作为提取剂制备速溶红茶,其制备的速溶红茶富含茶黄素,为速溶茶的生产加工提供了一定的理论依据,也可以为夏秋茶资源的开发利用提供新方法。     

Impact of shoot maturity on chlorophyll content,composition of volatile flavour compounds and plain black tea chemical quality parameters of clonal leaf

Chlorophyll content in black teas increased with a rise in shoot maturity, while the theaflavin content, brightness, total colour and tasters' evaluation declined. The increase in chlorophyll content in black teas of clone S15/10 was in a parallel with the greenness of the black tea infusions as described by tea tasters. These relationships were less pronounced in clone 6/8. The thearubigins content and the individual volatile flavour compounds composition in black tea remained the same or declined with increased shoot maturity, respectively. The results suggest that the impact of chlorophyll content on black tea quality is clonal dependent and becomes more significant as tea shoots mature and when the other plain black tea chemical quality parameters are low.     

茶黄素和咖啡碱浓度对茶乳酪形成的影响

以茶黄素和咖啡碱的相互作用来模拟茶乳酪的形成体系,通过分析其透光率、沉淀量、茶黄素和咖啡碱质量浓度的变化,研究茶黄素和咖啡碱对茶乳酪形成的影响。结果表明:随茶黄素和咖啡碱质量浓度的增加,其聚合后原溶液和贮藏液的透光率降低,贮藏液的沉淀量增加;并且当固定茶黄素和咖啡碱二者中任一物质的质量浓度,随另外一个物质质量浓度的增加,上述变化趋势显著。灭菌不影响整体的变化趋势,除此之外通过高效液相色谱分析咖啡碱和茶黄素各单体质量浓度的变化发现,咖啡碱和茶黄素-3,3’-没食子酸酯是影响模拟体系中茶乳酪形成的关键因子。基于减少茶乳酪生成,提高红茶饮料的感官效果,并同时尽可能多地保留茶黄素质量浓度,应当选择茶黄素质量浓度低于100mg/L、咖啡碱质量浓度低于200mg/L的红茶原料来制作红茶饮料。      

Simultaneous determination of theanine,gallic acid,purine alkaloids,catechins, and theaflavins in black tea using HPLC

In the present study, we employed high performance liquid chromatography with an amide‐C₁₆ column to determine the eighteen major active ingredients in black tea, including theanine, gallic acid, four purine alkaloids, eight catechins and four theaflavins. The method was successfully used to analyse two new kinds of black teas from the leaves of Camellia ptilophylla and Camellia kucha in China and several other world‐ famous black teas. Forty percentage ethanol was chosen as the extraction solvent for preparing tea extracts. All of the eighteen compounds could be separated within 86 min with a gradient elution system. Excellent linearity was observed for all the standard calibration curves, and correlation coefficients were above 0.9991. The developed method is accurate and sensitive enough for the determination of active components in black tea.     

Variations in the leaf standard,chemical composition and quality of black tea (Camellia sinensis) due to plucking intervals

Green leaf standard, chemical composition and quality of black tea (Camellia sinensis (L) O Kuntze) change with plucking intervals. Long plucking intervals lead to poor leaf standard with a lot of mature leaves and lower theaflavins, the sum of volatile flavour compounds imparting a sweet flowery aroma (group II volatile flavour compounds), caffeine contents and tasters' evaluations of black tea. The sum of volatile flavour compounds imparting inferior, grassy, green flavour (group I volatile flavour compounds) to tea, however, increases with long plucking intervals.     

In-vitro studies on the effect of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase on the formation of polyphenolic black tea constituents

Flavanols (catechins and gallocatechins) isolated from green tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) (L) O Kuntze) were treated in vitro with polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and a combination of both. The flavanol levels and those of the products formed were monitored by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC using spectrophotometric detection at 280 and 380 nm. Flavanols and theaflavins were quantified, whilst integrated peak areas are given for the remaining compounds. After fermentation in the presence of polyphenol oxidase higher levels of theaflavins and resolved thearubigins were obtained, whilst peroxidase produced higher amounts of chromatographically unresolved thearubigins of higher molecular weight, observed as a rise in the HPLC baseline, in the presence of peroxidase a significant decrease in the levels of all flavonol glycosides was observed, whilst in the presence of polyphenol oxidase only myricetin glycoside levels decreased.     

Changes undergone by free amino-acids during the manufacture of black tea

(1) An increase in total free amino-acids during the withering stage of tea manufacture was confirmed, and was found to be dependent on storage conditions which promote the onset of senescence in plucked tea shoot tips (especially desiccation). The rate of increase was positively related to temperature up to the point where the tissues were killed, after which no further changes took place. Individually, all the major amino-acids increase during withering except the most abundant amino-acid, theanine, which shows an appreciable decrease. (2) During the fermentation stage of black tea manufacture the concentrations of leucine, isoleucine, serine, glutamic acid, glutamine, threonine and phenylalanine are appreciably reduced. Other free amino-acids undergo little change in concentration. (3) During the drying stage of tea manufacture there is a small general decrease in free amino-acid concentration. (4) There is an active metabolism of free amino-acids in plucked tea shoot tips. Within 3 h of feeding glycine-¹⁴C, radioactivity could be detected in all the free amino-acids and especially in serine which contained about ten times as much ¹⁴C as did glycine after this period. Caffeine increased in concentration and in degree of labelling with time from feeding of glycine-¹⁴C which suggests that the amino-acids are the precursors of this purine compound in tea shoot tips. (5) The effect of these changes on the organoleptic properties of black tea are discussed.     

Effect of the withering process on volatile compound formation during black tea manufacture

The amount and composition of volatile compounds in the volatile oils were compared between non-withered tea and withered tea. Important differences in the aroma constituents were found in the amounts of E-2-hexenal, Z-3-hexanol ester, linalool and its oxides, and methylsalcylate. In withered teas, the amounts of Z-3-hexenol ester, linalool and its oxides, and methylsalcylate were much greater than in non-withered tea, but the E-2-hexenal content was higher in non-withered tea. From the results it was thought that the withering process has an important role in the formation of volatile compounds in tea shoots during black tea fermentation.     

Fate of imidacloprid and acetamiprid residues during black tea manufacture and transfer into tea infusion

The objective of this paper is to investigate the loss/stability of neonicotinoids (imidacloprid and acetamiprid) residues during the manufacture of black tea and to study the transfer of these pesticides from made tea to its infusion. For orthodox black tea, the manufacturing process involves leaf harvesting (plucking two leaves and a bud), withering, rolling, fermentation (oxidation), and drying. Initial withering and final drying resulted in the loss of pesticide residues, but no significant reduction in residue levels resulted from the rolling and fermentation steps. The drying process resulted in a residue transfer of 64–70% and 69–74% of the initial level, whereas the brewing process resulted in a residue transfer of 37–39% and 45–49% of imidacloprid and acetamiprid, respectively, from dried tea into the infusion. The decrease in acetamiprid levels during drying was also significant (8–13%), whereas the total loss during the manufacturing process ranged from 26 to 31%. Further, brewing for longer periods (an extended brewing time) resulted in higher transfer (up to 44% for imidacloprid and 53% for acetamiprid) of pesticides to tea infusion. Further, the extent of pesticide leaching depends on its water solubility, partition coefficient, and the brewing time.     

Changes in enzyme activities (polyphenol oxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase) with type of tea leaf and during black tea manufacture and the effect of enzyme supplementation of dhool on black tea quality

Variation in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activities with respect to different cultural and manufacturing processes and their effects on black tea quality were studied. There was a wide variation between enzyme activities of different clones, as well as variation due to seasonal changes and shoot maturity. Field practices such as plucking rounds and pruning had a great impact on enzyme activities. The enzyme activities positively correlated with tasters' scores. The extent of change in enzyme activities at different stages of manufacture differed widely. The loss of activity during withering could be restored by rehydration. Residual activity was observed in made tea. Supplementation of enzymes enhanced the black tea quality markedly in terms of cuppage and creaming properties.     

Hastening of leaf senescence in the processing of green tea leaf to black tea

The current system of processing green tea leaf (Camellia sinensis) to produce black tea involves a long period, especially because of the withering process practised in acquiring leaf senescence which is essential to impart fullness to the resulting tea liquors. Hastening leaf senescence by artificial withering at temperatures favourable to enzymic transformations accelerated the process and considerably shortened the manufacture of black teas.     

萎凋叶含水量对四川中小叶群体种工夫红茶品质形成的影响

目的探索萎凋程度对重庆工夫红茶品质形成的影响。方法以四川中小叶群体种为研究对象,分析比较了3个萎凋含水量:处理A(69.59%)、处理B(65.17%)、处理C(59.20%)萎凋叶红茶加工过程中色泽、多酚氧化酶(polyphenylene oxide, PPO)活性变化及对后续揉捻效果、生化成分、工夫红茶成茶品质形成的影响。结果随着萎凋水分的降低,萎凋叶L*, b*值呈下降的趋势, a*值呈上升的趋势, 4～6 h时均出现了与总体趋势相反的波动;加工过程中,各处理L*,b*值均呈下降的趋势,a*值在发酵前呈增高的趋势,干燥后值减小。成茶色泽L*a*b*值则均表现为处理A处理C处理B。加工过程中PPO活性呈先升后降的趋势,随萎凋程度的加重,高峰往后延迟且活性越强,处理C在发酵环节中活性最高。揉捻环节随着萎凋叶含水量的降低成条率越高,扁条率越低,细胞破碎率越高,处理C效果最好。内含物质随着萎凋叶含水量的减少,茶多酚先增后减,氨基酸先减后增,咖啡碱呈先减后增再减式起伏变化;水浸出物、可溶性糖差异不明显;成茶中处理C综合感官品质表现最好。结论萎凋叶含水量在60%左右时,有利于发挥四川中小叶群体种品种优势,加工出的工夫红茶品质良好。