Investigation of Different Parts of Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) in Terms of Polyphenol and Bioactivity.

In this study, changes in the amount of polyphenols (C, EC, GC, EGC, EGCG, ECG) and caffeine in different parts (root, stem, leaf and apical bud) of tea plants harvested from gardens with different characteristics in three shoot periods were investigated. Analyses were performed by High-performance liquid chromatography (commonly known as HPLC). The highest amount of polyphenols were obtained from the leaf, apical bud, stem and root parts of the plant, respectively. In this study, the amount of polyphenols was generally found to be higher in the apical bud and leaf parts than in the root and stem. Polyphenols found in the apical bud and leaf of the tea plant, respectively; the highest values of EGCG were between 70.21-73.98 mg/g, caffeine 60.98-39.63 mg/g, EGC 23.83-31.43 mg/g, EC 15.04-15.86 mg/g, GC 6.95-10.92 mg/g and C 1.98-0.58 mg/g. The root and stem contain caffeine in low amounts. Polyphenols were found in the root and stem parts although less compared to the other two organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]