Chemical Composition of Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze Extract

Abstract

Background: the chemical composition of green tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) consists of phenolic compounds (30% dry weight in leaves), 3 – 4% of alkaloids known as methylxanthines such as caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, proteins (15-20% dry weight in leaves), and carbohydrates (5-7% dry weight in leaves). The main component of green tea is phenolic compounds, which are presented by flavonols, flavandiols, flavonone, and phenolic acids. Due to the wide variety of phenolic compounds, green tea possesses different pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-bacterial, antitumor, and anxiolytic activity. Many scientific researches have found that green tea catechins possess a significant antioxidant activity [1]. Aim: To determine the qualitative and quantitative composition of C. sinensis extract. Methods: For extraction, dried and powdered C. sinensis leaves were used. After ultrasoundassisted extraction (the sample/solvent ratio was 1:10), the obtained extract was lyophilized using a Freeze Dryer (Telstar LuoQuest, Spain). Dry C. sinensis extract has been analysed using HPLC-PDA (Waters e2695 Alliance system, Walters, Milford, MA, USA) system (in samples 1.1 mg/ml with the solvent - water). Results: HPLC-PDA analysis has shown that dry C. sinensis extract (1:10) contains (mg/g dry weight): 19,5962 ± 0,61 SD mg/g gallic acid, 217,5384 ± 5,65 SD mg/g epigallocatechin (EGC), 292,7654 ± 7,92 SD mg/g epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), 111,3464 ± 2,89 SD mg/g epicatechin gallate (ECG) and 431,9150 ± 9,51 SD mg/g caffeine. Conclusion: The obtained dry extract of C. sinensis was distinguished by the phytochemical marker caffeine, which accounted for 40,247% of the total identified compounds.