Abstract
The factors affecting chemical composition of green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) during extraction process were temperatures and times. The optimum extraction conditions were measured in relation to the changes of chemical compositions from water extracts of green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) under different extraction temperatures (50, 70, 9$0^{\circ}C$) and extraction times (1, 3, 5 minute). The change of color intensity during browning reaction, flavonoid components, contents of total phenols and hydrogen donating activity (reducing activity for $\alpha$, $\alpha$'-diphenyl-$\beta$ -picryhydrazyl) of water extracts form green tea increased as extraction temperatures increased from 50 to 9$0^{\circ}C$ and extraction times prolonged from 1 to 5 min. The contents of important free sugars such as sucrose and glucose slightly increased as the extraction time was prolonged, while little difference in the content of fructose with the prolonged extraction time. Catechins contents extracted from the commercial steamed green tea were increased at higher temperature and longer extraction time. Epigallocatechin (EGC) extracted from 9$0^{\circ}C$ (extraction time 5 min). presented 99.9 mg/g in highest composition of catechin followed by epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECg). The content of vitamin C extracted from green tea was increased about 2 times as the extraction temperature increased from 50 to 9$0^{\circ}C$ and as the extraction time increased from 1 to 5 min. with exception at 9$0^{\circ}C$(extraction time:5 min) which showed less vitamin C content than 7$0^{\circ}C$(extraction time : 3 min) probably due to possible destruction of vitamin C by high temperature.
