• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.117-123
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• 2002

The five main green tea catechin components such as (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate were analyzed quantitatively from commercial green tea by HPLC. Amounts of catechins decreased in the following order : (+)-catechin > (-)-epigallocatechin gallate >(-)-epigallocatechin >(-)-epicatechin >(-)-epicatechin gallate. In this study, the stability of the following green tea catechins to pH in the range from 3 to 11 was studied using of ultraviolet spectroscopy : (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate. This study demonstrated that green tea catechins were not stable at high pH and that the pH-, and time-dependent spectral alternatives were not reversible In conclusion, low pH is important to maintain the efficient utilization of green tea catechins.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1212-1217
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• 2009

This study examined the influence of manufacturing processes and extraction conditions on the chemical compositions of green tea. Green tea samples grown in various areas (Korea, China, and Japan) and processed by 4 different methods (steaming, pan-firing, steaming and pan-firing, and heavy roasting after steaming and pan-firing) were collected for study. The chemical compositions of the green tea extracts and infusions were different according to their processing methods and extraction conditions, including catechins, caffeine, and free amino acids contents. In all samples analyzed, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), and theanine were determined as the major catechins and free amino acid, respectively. Studies of samples grown in the same area (Jeju; Korea) showed that there were significant differences in the concentrations of catechins and caffeine in extract and infusion according to the processing methods. These results indicate that processing methods influenced the chemical compositions of the green tea extracts and infusions.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1016-1020
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• 2008

Parameters of soluble solids, amino acids, catechins, and color difference of 24 green tea samples from China and Korea were determined. The levels of soluble solids, amino acids, total catechins, and infusion lightness in tea samples from Korea were higher than those from China. Concentrations of epigallocatechin galate and epigallocatechin in teas from China were higher than tea samples from Korea. Geographical origin of teas from the 2 countries was discriminated using parameters of infusion lightness, gallocatechin, and total catechins and applying principal component analysis.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.224-232
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• 2008

The health benefits associated with tea consumption have resulted in the wide inclusion of green tea extracts in botanical dietary supplements, which are widely consumed as adjuvants for complementary and alternative medicines. Tea contains polyphenols such as catechins or flavan-3-ols including (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), as well as the alkaloid, caffeine. The contents of catechins and caffeine in green tea are considered as a standard of quality evaluation of green tea. Therefor, the purpose of this study was to investigate the most suitable HPLC condition for simultaneous determination of catechins and caffeine in green tea extracts. The efficient HPLC analytical condition of catechins and caffeine contained green tea extracts was developed. The gradient elution employed a $250\;mm\;{\times}\;4.6\;mm$ i.d. YMC-pak ODS-AM 303 column. The gradient system was used two mobile phases. A gradient elution was performed with mobile phase A, consisting of 0.1% aqueous phosphoric acid, and mobile phase B, comprising 100% MeOH, and delivered at a flow rate of 1 mL/min as follows: $0{\sim}25\;min$, 80% A; $26{\sim}50\;min$, $80{\sim}70%$ A; 51 min, 80% A. $51{\sim}55\;min$, 80% A. The UV detection wavelength was set at 280 nm. The limit of detection (LOD) for catechins and caffeine standards were under 50 ng/mL.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.295-299
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• 2004

The prices of domestic green tea products are relatively expensive and price differences within products of the same levels of quality are various. Also, there is no basic criteria on evaluation of green tea quality. To group 43 commercial green tea products into several parts by the principal component and cluster analyses, this work was done by use of 8 chemical constituents which were analyzed by NIR system. The principal component and cluster analyses revealed 8 groups. The first group included 16 products that had lower free amino acid and theanine contents. The second group included 5 products having higher free amino acid and theanine contents, but lower ash contents. The third group included 13 products showing medium values of 8 constituents. The IV group included 4 products having higher contents of moisture, free amino acids, and theanine. The V group included 1 product showing higher moisture but lower catechins contents. The VI group included 2 products that had higher moisture and catechins contents, but lower free amino acid and theanine contents. The VII group had higher moisture and catechins contents. The VIII group had higher ash and vitamin C contents. The free amino acid contents which were the most important in flavor evaluation of green tea quality did highly positively correlate with the contents of total nitrogen $(0.956^{**}),\;theanine\;(0.981^{**}),\;and\;caffeine\;(0.793^{**})$, but negatively with the contents of ash $(-0.884^{**})$. The catechins used as for functional ingredients did correlate with contents of caffeine(+) and vitamin C(-), respectively.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.2 s.57
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• pp.117-121
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• 2006

Although many studies have been performed to elucidate the molecular consequence of factors that regulate skin aging, little is known about the effect of green tea catechins except EGCG. The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), can degrade matrix proteins and results in a collagen deficiency in photodamaged skin, are known to play an important role in photoaging. This study, investigated the effects of green tea catechins on the UVA-induced MMP-1 expression, activity of MMP-2 and synthesis of type I procollagen in human dermal fibroblasts. We examined eight catechins that naturally exist in green tea leaves and compared their efficacies among them. Most of catechins inhibited the expression of MMP-1 in dose dependent manner, and the levels were reduced, especially, 57.4 and 68.2% by treatment with $1{\mu}M$ of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and gallocatechin-3-gallate (GCG), respectively. Also, catechins significantly suppressed the activities of MMP-2. Catechins also induced the expression of type I procollagen, however, they acted only at the concentration below $1{\mu}M$ interestingly. Furthermore, when EGCG:GCG:ECG had the ratio of 0.5:1.5:.1.3, they presented the most effective on procollagen synthesis. Therefore, we concluded that catechins significantly inhibited MMPs and induced collagen synthesis. Taken together, all these results suggested that green tea catechins might be good natural materials act as an anti-photoaging and a skin-aging improving agent.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.229-232
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• 2010

Caffeine and catechins from the Yabukita, Yutakamidori, Saemidori, Okumidori, and Fushun varieties of tea leaves picked during different harvesting seasons from April to October were evaluated using HPLC. Total content of catechins increased greatly with the later harvesting time of tea leaves (i.e., picking the leaves in September versus in April) and decreased slightly after September. Yabukita tea leaves picked in August contained 43.1 mg% catechins including EGC, EC, ECG, and EGCG, with the ECGC levels constituting greater than 50% of those four compounds. Yutakamidori and Okumidori varieties picked in September contained the highest catechin values, at 43.6 mg% and 31.0 mg%, respectively. Fushun and Saemidori varieties contained lower catechin concentrations of 14.5 mg% (July) and 11.7 mg% (August) compared to other varieties. The EGCG levels gradually decreased in the late harvesting season, while levels of the other catechins, EC, EGC, and ECG, gradually increased. All varieties of green tea showed a gradual decrease in caffeine content toward the end of our harvesting efforts in October, with levels of 58～68 mg% in April and 28～57 mg% in October. Yabukita, Saemidori, and Okumidori varieties reached their highest caffeine levels in late spring/early summer, with Yabukita and Okumidori varieties reaching a high of 73.4% and 63.5% caffeine, respectively, in May, and Saemidori at 64.0% in June. In particular, Fushun still contained high caffeine of 66.8 mg% (September) during the late harvesting season.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.21 no.3 s.87
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• pp.346-353
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• 2005

CThis study used HPLC to analyze the contents of 7 kinds of catechins, 4 kinds of theaflavins, and 2 kinds of methylxanthines in the following 6 kinds of commercial Korean tea: 2 green, 2 black, 1 jasmine and loolong. The following ranges in the 13 tea components of the 6 samples by ethanol extract were evaluated in mg/g: (-)-epigallocatechin, 0(black tea and jasmine tea) to 14.19(green tea); (-)-catechin 0; (+)-epicatechin, 0.62(bran rice-green tea) to 2.91(black tea); (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, 4.59(black tea) to 43.96(jasmine tea); (-)-gallocatechin gallate, 0.58(black tea) to 5.80(jasmine tea); (-)-epicatechin gallate, 5.63(bran rice-ueen tea) to 48.06(jasmine tea): (-)-catechin gallate, 0.26(black tea): theaflavif 0 to 3.66(black tea): theaflavin-3-gallate, 0 to 6.94(black tea): theaflavin-3'-gallate, 0 to 4.01(black tea); theaflavin-3,3-digallte, 0 to 10.25(black tea); caffeine, 4.60(bran rice-peen tea) to 26.44(black tea); and theobromine, 0.10(bran rice-green tea) to 1.81(jasmine tea). The contents of all components were lower by water extract than by ethanol extract. Therefore, total catechin (100.55, 45.88 mg/g) and theobromine (1.81, 0.86 mg/g) contents in jasmine tea, and theaflavin content (24.88, 1.36 mg/g) in black tea by ethanol and water extract were the highest. Caffeine content was the highest in black tea(96.48 mg/g) for the ethanol extract, and in jasmine tea (12.38 mg/g) for the water extract.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.761-769
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• 2013

This study used HPLC to analyze the contents of catechins, alkaloids, theanine, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of commercial Hadong green tea leaves(Uzen, Sezak, Jungzak, Daezak). The content of catechins, alkaloids, theanine, total phenolic compounds were lower by water extracts than by 80% ethanol-water extracts. Total catechin and alkaloid contents in Uzen(172.33 mg/g, 30.80 mg/g) by 80% ethanol extract were the highest. Theanine contents of 80% ethanol-water extracts ranged form 55.36 to 37.48 mg/g of tea leaves. Total phenloic compounds contents of green tea were higher than Uzen. Antioxidative of green tea by DPPH, FTC, TBA method were higher than that Uzen.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.101-107
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• 2001

Green tea catechins (GTC) and its major component, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) were studied for their protective effects against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress. GTC and EGCG skewed the strong antioxidative effects on the lipid peroxidation of ethyl linolate with Fenton's reagent and free radical scavenging effect to DPPH radical generation. They also protected $H_2O$$_2$- or KO$_2$-induced cytotoxicity in CHL cells or mouse splenocytes. These results indicate that GTC and EGCG are capable of protecting the lipid peroxidation, flee radical generation and cytotoxicity induced by ROS. The mechanism of inhibition in ROS-induced cytotoxicity may be due to their antiofidative and free radical scavenging properties. Therefore, GTC and EGCG may be useful chemopreventive agents by protecting the free radical generation which are involved in cancer and aging.