Comparative Assessment of Catechin and Gallic Acid Content in Different Brands of Black and Green Tea

Abstract

Levels of catechins, gallic acid in a total of 14 samples of different tea samples commercialized in Iraq have been evaluated via High performance liquid chromatography using photodiode array detector. Large variations the two compounds concentrations were observed and detected. The levels ranged from 96 to 176 μg L-1 and 13 to 88 μg L-1 for catechin and gallic acid concentration. The obtained results showed that green tea has a higher level of content of catechin than black tea. The process of fermentation during black tea production minimize the level of catechin concentration significantly. This study will be useful for the assessment of antioxidant component in various tea samples, and it will also be of interest for people who like drinking this beverage.