Composition of pyrolyzate from Japanese green tea

Green tea is a beverage that is produced by hot-water extraction of the leaves of tea (Camellia sinensis L.). As the amount of green tea consumption has increased, the importance of using the residue has grown. To address this problem, chemical compositions of two pyrolyzates obtained with an electric kiln, L and G, which were obtained from the tea leaf product and its hot-water extraction residue, respectively, were examined. Both pyrolyzates were alkaline, in contrast to the acidic pHs that are typical of pyrolyzates from wood materials. The major constituents were nitrogen-containing compounds, which accounted for up to about 70% (based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry peak area). Caffeine was the main compound in both samples, although it might not be a pyrolysis product but actually sublimates from the samples and then condenses back into the pyrolyzates. Other nitrogen-containing compounds were formed mainly from proteins and amino acids. Acids and phenols, which are typical components in pyrolyzates obtained from wood materials and contribute to acidic pH, were rare in both samples. Other neutral compounds are known as compounds in pyrolyzates from wood materials. The pyrolyzates obtained in this experiment were novel and may have new uses.Contents of this report was presented in the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Gifu, 2002     

高效液相法测定普洱茶焙烤制品中儿茶素及咖啡碱含量的研究

为准确测定普洱茶经焙烤后有效物质儿茶素及咖啡碱的保留率,建立了高效液相法,采用70%甲醇提取液提取茶焙烤制品中的儿茶素,并使用C18反相色谱柱,以乙酸乙腈-乙酸水为流动相进行梯度洗脱,流速为1 mL/min;在波长为270 nm下经紫外分光法检测,结果表明:普洱茶粉的有效成分在焙烤过程中的保留率高,其中总儿茶素的平均保留率达90.55%,咖啡碱的平均保留率高达99.46%,因此该检测方法具有简便、准确、分离效果好的优点,适用于检测茶焙烤食品中儿茶素的含量。     

超临界CO_2提取茶叶中咖啡碱

用超临界萃取技术分离提取茶叶中的咖啡碱，再用CH2Cl2萃取分离，得到纯度为95．16％的咖啡碱，萃取率和得率分别为16．85％、0．55％。试验结果还表明，在一定条件下，利用超临界萃取技术能够有效地分离茶多酚和咖啡碱。     

太阳散射光对紫外分光光度法测定咖啡碱的影响

应用朗伯--比耳定律,利用排除法,确定太阳散射光对紫外分光光度法测定咖啡碱的影响.     

黑曲霉发酵对咖啡碱代谢的影响

普洱茶固态发酵过程的实质是微生物代谢作用,而黑曲霉在代谢中为优势菌,对咖啡碱代谢产生巨大影响。以黑曲霉为单一菌种,分别接种到茶叶、茶汤和含咖啡碱的液态培养基,并测定不同发酵阶段嘌呤碱的含量。结果表明,黑曲霉对茶叶碱的影响大于可可碱,对可可碱的影响大于咖啡碱,在咖啡碱液态培养基发酵中,茶叶碱增加幅度最大,且与咖啡碱浓度存在正相关性。     

Chemical Composition of Green Tea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia sinensis</Emphasis>) Infusions Commercialized in Portugal

To evaluate the potential benefits and risks associated with tea consumption it is important to identify the constituents of this beverage. Levels of some minerals, caffeine and catechins in green tea samples commercialized in Portugal were evaluated. Potassium is the metal present in larger amount (92–151 mg/l). The content of sodium, calcium, fluoride, aluminium, manganese and iron were 35–69, 1.9–3.5, 0.80–2.0, 1.0–2.2, 0.52–1.9, 0.020–0.128 mg/l, respectively. Chromium and selenium were not detected. The resulting data showed considerable variability in catechins content. The levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) ranged from 117 to 442 mg/l, epicatechin 3-gallate (EGC) from 203 to 471 mg/l, epigallocatechin (ECG) from 16.9 to 150 mg/l, epicatechin (EC) from 25 to 81 mg/l and catechin (C) from 9.03 to 115 mg/l. Caffeine contents in the green tea infusions studied were between 141–338 mg/l. Green tea infusions provide significant amounts of catechins and could be an important source of some minerals.     

Recent advances in caffeine and theobromine toxicities: a review

Caffeine and theobromine are purine alkaloids widely consumed as stimulants and snacks in coffee and cocoa based foods and most often as part of ingredients in drugs. Man has enjoyed a long history of consumption of caffeine and theobromine. Recent interest in these two alkoloids, however, is centered on their potential reproductive toxicities. Caffeine and theobromine are now known to cross the placental and blood brain barrier thus potentially inducing fetal malformation by affecting the expression of genes vital in development. The developing fetus may not have developed enzymes for detoxification of these methylxanthine alkaloids via demethylation. There is a need, therefore, to protect the conceptus against insults from teratogens of this nature. Apart from its reproductive toxicity, the presence of caffeine and theobromine in cocoa could limit its potentials as a nourishing food. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by nutritionists and the food industry at large. This paper discusses the natural sources, consumption and uses, toxicity and the major advances in the reproductive toxicology of caffeine and theobromine. The biosynthesis of these compounds in plants, metabolism in mammalian systems and the involvement of cytochrome P450 are reviewed and summarized. Evidence in favor of the toxicity of these compounds in experimental animals is presented with emphasis on the implications of these findings in humans. The paper concludes with a call for caution in the use of caffeine and theobromine pending further and more elaborate investigations.     

Enhancement effect of adenovirus mediated antisense c-myc gene and caffeine on chemotherapy of osteosarcoma cells to cisplatin

AIM: The cancer biology has showed that overexpression of oncogenes is responsible for the progression of human malignancies,antisense technology can block a certain gene expression.Caffeine has enhancement effect on chemotherapy of osteosarcoma cells to cisplatin,we constructed the recombinant adenovirus (Ad-Asc-myc) encoding antisense c-myc fragment and investigated its effect on the in vitro sensitivity of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells to cisplatin.METHODS: The recombinant adenovirus (Ad-Asc-myc) encoding antisense c-myc fragment was constructed by cloning c-myc cDNA of about 750 base pairs in a reverse direction into adenovirus vector.Ad-Asc-myc and caffeine was used respectively or together to co-operate with cisplatin to treat the osteosarcoma MG-63 cells in vitro,and Western blotting,MTT,flow cytometry (FCM),electron microscope were used to evaluate expression of c-Myc protein,tumor cell proliferation in vitro,apoptosis and cell cycle analysis.RESULTS: Ad-Asc-myc was obtained with the titer of 2×10¹² pfu/L.Ad-Asc-myc down-regulated the expression of c-Myc protein,Ad-Asc-myc or caffeine enhanced the effects of 2.0,5.0 mg/L cisplatin on MG-63 cells.Moreover,Ad-Asc-myc combined with caffeine significantly enhanced this effects,not only on cisplatin-induced apoptosis,but also on tumor cells proliferation in vitro.The expression of bcl-2 was downregulated,bax were upregulated,while there was no change in the expression of E2F-1.FCM analysis showed that cisplatin treatment induced a block in S phase,and caffeine reversed this block and speeded up the progression of cells out of the S phase.Ad-Asc-myc induced obvious G₂/M phase arrest in transfected cells.CONCLUSION: Ad-Asc-myc combined with caffeine may enhance apoptosis-induced and chemotherapy effects of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells to cisplatin.     

茶叶中咖啡因提取方法与工艺

简要介绍了从茶叶中提取咖啡因的各种方法与工艺,即醇提法、水提法、有机溶剂提取法,超临界二氧化碳萃取法、升华法、微波提取法并对各种方法进行对比,以期为咖啡因提取方法的研究提供参考。     

修剪施肥相结合对低产低效茶园茶叶品质的影响

[目的]研究修剪和施肥交互作用对低质低效茶园茶叶品质的影响,探讨修剪方式和施肥方式对低产低效茶园质量的提升作用。[方法]4种修剪方法分别为轻修剪、深修剪、重修剪和台刈,2种肥料分别为氨基酸肥和塔式生物肥,分析水浸出物、氨基酸、茶多酚、咖啡碱含量。[结果]轻修剪结合施用有机肥可提高茶叶水浸出物和茶多酚含量;重修剪结合施用有机肥可提高茶叶氨基酸含量,降低茶叶咖啡碱含量。[结论]该研究可为低产低效茶园茶叶的高产优质栽培提供参考。