Comprehensive Investigation of the Effects of Brewing Conditions in Sample Preparation of Green Tea Infusions

Abstract

Chemical and biological investigation of green tea has been generally performed while using different infusions that are prepared without consideration of the effects of sample preparation conditions. In this study, for the first time, the effects of green tea brewing conditions on the antioxidant activity and chemical profiles of metabolome and catechin compounds were examined at 60 °C and 95 °C for a period of 5–300 min. The antioxidant capacities of the tea infusions, which were assessed as per 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, depended more on temperature than time. Metabolomics study that was based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS) revealed that the metabolic profiles, including 33 differential metabolites, were significantly changed by temperature and time, with the effects of time being more evident at 95 °C starting after 30 min. Infusions that were brewed at 95 °C for greater than 30 min yielded distinct profiles in the hierarchical clustering analysis. The quantification of eight catechins by UHPLC-QqQ/MS showed that the total catechin level peaked at 95 °C brewing at 10 min, after which the levels of four epi-forms of catechins decreased and those of four non-epi-forms increased, implying the epimerization of catechins over time. These results suggest that the brewing conditions for sample preparation of green tea should be put into careful consideration in studies where green tea extracts are applied as aqueous infusions.