Green tea is another excellent dietary source of polyphenols. The most abundant the polyphenolic compound in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG); other catechins such as epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epicatechin gallate (ECG) are also present.
The active constituents responsible for photoprotective efficacy in green tea are called epicatechins or epicatechin derivatives. These epicatechins are also commonly called as ‘polyphenols’ and are easily soluble in water and organic solvents like acetone, ethanol, etc.
During processing of tea, these epicatechins get polymerized and from more complex polymerized molecules called theaflavins and thearubigins. A typical black tea contains 3-10% epicatechins, 3-6% theaflavins, 12-18% thearubigins and other components.
Studies have shown that polyphenol provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activities in nature and have been shown to possess anti-carcinogenicity activity.
Epicatechins compound in tea
