CHEMISTRY PROJECT

To Compare the Water Soluble

Polyphenol Content in Various
samples of Tea leaves

By V. Krithika
Tea:
Botanical name:
Common name:
Parts used:
System effected:
Properties:

Camellia sinensis
Green tea
Young leaves and leaf buds
Liver, heart
Stimulant, diuretic. Astringent

Tea is made from young leaves and buds of tea plant. Tea
leaves are rich in caffeine (an alkaloid). Besides
caffeine, tea leaves contain tannic acid and coloring
matter, such as polyphenolic compounds. The relative
amounts of these substances are different in different
varieties of tea leaves, i.e. why, their taste and flavour
are different.
The brownish colour of tea is due to the presence of
polyphenolic compounds and some inorganic ions
like Mn2+, Fe3+ etc. Some simple experiments can be
carried out to study the components that are responsible
for the variation in tea flavour in various brands of tea.

Tea and Caffeine

Caffeine is a natural substance found in numerous plants.
Its consumption helps with metabolism, weight
loss and vitality. The average amount of caffeine from
brewed tea leaves depends on the type of tea (black
tea contains more caffeine than green tea), the brewing
duration, and the water temperature (the higher the
temperature- the greater the amount of caffeine drained
from the leaves). A healthy individual can consume up to
about 350 mg of caffeine per day without any concern.
Caffeine content per serving (milligrams)
Brewed Tea - 8 oz. Serving
Black tea 40
Green tea - 40
Iced tea, ready to drink- 30
Iced tea mix, unsweetened - 13
Bottled Tea 8 oz. Serving
Nestea Lemon Sweet- 11
Lipton Brisk, All Varieties - 6

Contents of Tea
1. Tannic Acid
2. Polyphenol
3. Caffeine
1. Tannic acid: Tannic acid is a specific commercial form of tannin, a type
of polyphenol. Its weak acidity (pKa around 10) is due to the
numerous phenol groups in the structure. The chemical formula for
commercial tannic acid is often given as C76H52O46, which corresponds with
decagalloyl glucose, but in fact it is a mixture of polygalloyl glucoses or
polygalloyl quinic acid esters with the number of galloyl moieties per
molecule ranging from 2 up to 12 depending on the plant source used to
extract the tannic acid.

2.Polyphenol:The phenol content in tea refers to the phenols and

polyphenols, natural plant compounds which are found in tea.
These chemical compounds affect the flavor and mouth feel and are
speculated to provide potential health benefits. Polyphenols in tea
include catechins, theaflavins, tannins, and flavonoids.

3.Caffeine:It is a bitter, white crystalline purine, amethylxanthine alkaloid,

and thus closely related chemically to the adenine and guanine contained
in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). It is found in the seeds, nuts, or leaves of
a small number of plants native to South America.

EXPERIMENT - I

AIM: Compare the water soluble polyphenol (catechin) content in

various samples of tea leaves.

REQUIREMENTS: Beakers, conical flasks,

arrangement, tea bags of different brands of tea.

funnels,

heating

THEORY: Tea contains upto 30% of the water soluble polyphenols

(catechin). These are largely responsible for the flavour of the tea. To
estimate the extent of these compounds in a given sample, the tea
leaves are immersed in hot water for equal time and the loss in weight
of tea leaves is determined.
PROCEDURE:

1. Weigh exactly 3 g of each of the different samples of tea and

place them in tea bags.
2. Take three or four conical flasks and put 100 ml of hot water into
each of them.
3. Put tea bags of different samples of tea in the different conical
flasks. After 10 minutes, remove the tea bags and dry them by
placing them in an oven.
4. When the tea bags become dry, reweigh them.
5. Note the flavour of the tea solution obtained.

OBSERVATIONS:
SL NO.

1.
2
3

BRAND
NAME

TYPE R
TYPE G
TYPE S

INITIAL
WEIGHT(x g)

3
3
3

(y g)

2.3652
2.994
2.64

LOSS OF
WEIGHT

0.6348
0.006
0.36

% OF WATER
SOL. COMP.= y/x
X 100

78.84%
99.80%
88%

RESULT: The tea having better taste has more polyphenol content.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Comprehensive Chemistry Practical Guide

wikipedia.org
Wikianswers.com
Teatalk.com