Abstract
Antioxidative effect of tea extracts from green tea(steamed, roasted), oolong tea and black tea was investigated. Antioxidative activities of the crude catechin fraction were the most effective in oolong tea which contained the highest level of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate(EGCg). The water-soluble fraction obtained from oolong tea exhibited binding with more ferrous than copper ions. It showed a synergistic effect when used with an antioxidant such as BHT(0.5mg) and $\alpha$-tocopherol(2mg). Especially, this synergistic effect was exhibited more with BHT than with $\alpha$-tocopherol. Also steamed green tea, roasted green tea and oolong tea showed remarkable free radical scavenging action. The SC50(the concentration of a water-soluble fraction which is required to scavenge 50% of 100$\mu$M 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radicals) of steamed and roasted green tea, oolong tea and black tea extracts were 11.3$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, 11.4$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, 12.7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and 14.9$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, respectively. It is assumed that the antioxidative activity of tea extracts is due to inhibition of peroxidation free radical scavenging and binding action of ferrous ions by mainly tea polyphenol compounds.
