Determination of Total Phenolic and Tannins in different Varities of tea by Colorimetry

G. Somasekhar^*, M. Madhavi, S. Jaheeda Bee, G. Sudeer, S. Salraju, M. Shakirbasha
Department of Pharmmaceutical Chemistry, Safa College of Pharmacy, B. Tandrapadu, Kurnool

A B S T R A C T
Camelia Sinensis Linn., commonly known as ‘Tea, is widely distributed in most tropical countries and have been used  for varied purposes; to treat different kinds of pathologies, particularly as antioxidant  owing to the presence of numerous phytochemical constituents residing in the plant. The powerful biological activities as exhibited by plant phenolics and flavonoids posed the need of determining their contents in Camelia sinensis. The present study was aimed at estimation of total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins in alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the different varities of tea. The contents were determined by spectrophotometric assays by measuring the absorbance at different wavelengths. Total phenolic content were estimated by the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric method; the total tannin content was estimated by Folin-Denis method whereas the total flavonoid content was estimated by lithium chloride colourimetric method. The alcoholic extract showed highest concentration of phenolics, flavonoids and tannins; ranging between 15-89 μg/mg of gallic acid equivalent, and 15-102 μg/mg of tannic acid equivalents respectively. The results clearly indicate that different varities of tea is a rich source of phenolics, the basis of its traditional use in different systems of medicines.
Keywords: Camellia sinensis, Gallic acid, Tannic acid, Colorimetric method