Table 3.
Catechins and caffeine content (mg/g of the sample on a dry weight basis) in different “Pai-Mu-Tan” white tea (WT) and flowers (Fl) samples of Azorean Camellia sinensis var. assamica from Sete Cidades and in commercial green tea samples (GTs) of Azorean C. sinensis var. sinensis from Gorreana Tea Plantation 1.
| Catechins and CAF |
Camellia sinensis Tea and Flowers Samples | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Var. Assamica | Var. Sinensis | ||||||
| WT1 | WT2 | WT3 | WT4 | WT5 | Fl | GTs | |
| GC | 4.44 ± 0.38 a | 3.17 ± 0.39 b | 3.30 ± 0.23 b | 3.49 ± 0.26 b | 2.13 ± 0.21 c | 0.81 ± 0.10 d | 0.46 ± 0.09 d |
| EGC | 0.96 ± 0.09 c,d | 1.31 ± 0.17 c | 0.96 ± 0.11 c,d | 1.15 ± 0.10 c | 2.23 ± 0.11 b | 1.07 ± 0.09 c | 5.22 ± 0.22 a |
| C | 1.01 ± 0.12 e | 1.72 ± 0.15 d,e | 2.75 ± 0.24 c | 2.09 ± 0.12 c,d | 2.95 ± 0.21 c | 8.35 ± 0.28 a | 4.45 ± 0.20 b |
| EC | 9.48 ± 0.28 e | 12.97 ± 0.47 b | 8.51 ± 0.33 f | 8.34 ± 0.41 f | 11.77 ± 0.39 c | 10.34 ± 0.41 d | 27.58 ± 0.88 a |
| EGCG | 62.68 ± 2.91 c,d | 57.92 ± 1.02 d | 133.68 ± 2.83 b | 132.37 ± 2.71 b | 131.71 ± 2.37 b | 68.94 ± 1.87 c | 198.35 ± 3.01 a |
| GCG | 1.25 ± 0.20 g | 3.83 ± 0.25 e | 4.96 ± 0.21 d | 5.84 ± 0.31 c | 2.93 ± 0.28 f | 11.26 ± 0.29 b | 24.71 ± 0.53 a |
| ECG | 40.21 ± 1.83 c | 39.08 ± 1.21 c | 50.84 ± 1.31 b | 51.72 ± 1.47 b | 51.29 ± 1.51 b | 31.73 ± 1.19 d | 89.25 ± 1.93 a |
| CAF | 16.90 ± 1.18 c | 21.48 ± 0.44 b | 21.68 ± 0.38 b | 27.73 ± 0.61 a | 21.60 ± 0.21 b | 6.15 ± 0.12 d | 15.98 ± 0.25 c |
| CAT Groups | |||||||
| ECDs | 113.33 ± 1.34 c | 111.28 ± 0.48 c | 193.99 ± 1.24 b | 193.58 ± 1.18 b | 197.00 ± 1.04 b | 112.08 ± 0.80 c | 320.40 ± 1.22 a |
| Est. CAT | 104.14 ± 1.36 c | 100.83 ± 0.51 c | 189.48 ± 1.32 b | 189.93 ± 1.20 b | 185.93 ± 1.05 b | 111.93 ± 0.79 c | 312.31 ± 1.24 a |
| Non-est. CAT | 15.89 ± 0.14 c | 19.17 ± 0.16 b | 15.52 ± 0.09 c | 15.07 ± 0.14 c | 19.08 ± 0.12 b | 20.57 ± 0.15 b | 37.71 ± 0.36 a |
| EC + ECG | 49.69 ± 0.50 c | 52.05 ± 0.52 c | 59.35 ± 0.19 b | 60.06 ± 0.67 b | 63.06 ± 0.53 b | 42.07 ± 0.55 d | 116.83 ± 0.74 a |
| EGC + EGCG | 63.64 ± 0.62 d | 59.23 ± 0.70 d | 134.64 ± 1.82 b | 133.52 ± 1.85 b | 133.94 ± 1.60 b | 70.01 ± 0.73 c | 203.57 ± 1.97 a |
| CATRAT | 0.78 b | 0.88 a | 0.44 e | 0.45 e | 0.47 e | 0.60 c | 0.57 c |
1 Values are mean ± SD (n = 3). The values presented for GTs are the average of five samples processed under the same conditions. Different superscript letters are significantly different (p < 0.05). GC—gallocatechin; EGC—epigallocatechin; C—catechin; EC—epicatechin; EGCG—epigallocatechin-3-gallate; GCG—gallocatechin-3-gallate; ECG—epicatechin-3-gallate; CAF—caffeine; CAT—catechins; ECDs (epicatechin derivatives), sum of EC, EGC, EGCG, and ECG; Est. CAT (esterified catechins), sum of EGCG, ECG, and GCG; Non-est. CAT (non-esterified catechins), sum of C, EC, EGC, and GC; CATRAT—dihydroxy-to-trihydroxy-catechin ratio = (EC + ECG) / (EGC + EGCG). WT1—dormant bud r Bhanji; WT2—first flush; WT3 and WT4—second flush; WT5—third flush.