Comparison of antioxidant activities among four kinds of Japanese traditional fermented tea

Abstract

Antioxidant activities of four kinds of Japanese traditional fermented tea, Gishi-cha, Ishizuchi-kurocha, Awa-bancha, and Batabatacha, were compared. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by three parameters: copper ion reduction ability, radical trapping ability, and oxygen consumption rate. Processes of fermentation of these fermented teas are different. Goichi-cha and Ishizuchi-kurocha are produced by a two-stage fermentation process, aerobic fermentation and subsequent anaerobic fermentation. Awabancha is produced by anaerobic fermentation. And batabata-cha is produced by aerobic fermentation. Additionally, unfermented green tea was also employed as control. These tea leaves were extracted by boiling water and measured antioxidant activities. And concentrations of caffeine and catechins were measured in green tea and in the four kinds of fermented tea: Ishizuchi-kurocha, Goishi-cha, Awa-Bancha, and Batabata-cha. Concentrations of caffeine and catechins were lower in the fermented teas than in green tea. Among the fermented teas, epigallocatechin content was the highest in Ishizuchi-kurocha, whereas Batabata-cha hardly contained any epigallocatechin. Goichi-cha, Ishizuchi-kurocha, and Awa-bancha showed antioxidative activity regardless of measurement method. Batabatacha had hardly any antioxidative activity.Among the fermented teas, Ishizuchi-kurocha had the strongest antioxidant activity.The antioxidative activities of green tea and the four kinds of fermented tea were significantly different among each other (p < .01). Implication of this study is as follows:although contents of catechins were lower than that of green tea, three kinds of fermented tea showed antioxidative activity comparable to green tea. The results suggest that anaerobic fermentation process is beneficial at least for antioxidative activity. K E Y W O R D Saerobic fermentation, anaerobic fermentation, antioxidant activity, catechins, fermented tea

The contribution ratio of various characteristic tea compounds in antioxidant capacity by DPPH assay

“…In this study, we measured TPs by Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activity of teas by DPPH assay. The test results conform to Masanori Horie and his colleagues' study that the degree of fermentation determine the antioxidant properties (Horie et al, 2016). Polyphenols contents were significantly different (p < .05) among different categories of teas, ranking as follows:…”

Draft Genome Sequence of the Yeast Pichia manshurica YM63, a Participant in Secondary Fermentation of Ishizuchi-Kurocha, a Japanese Fermented Tea

“…Pichia manshurica (phylum Ascomycota, subphylum Saccharomycotina) is a common yeast found in fermented animal feed and foods such as fermented maguey juice (1), a traditional beverage of Burkina Faso (2), wines (3), and silages (4). Ishizuchi-kurocha is a traditional fermented tea in Shikoku Island, Japan (5). The yeast species Pichia manshurica naturally occurs during the production process of Ishizuchi-kurocha.…”

Mycotoxin Contamination of Beverages Obtained from Tropical Crops

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