Bioactive Components of Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) From Mambilla Plateau, Taraba State - Nigeria

Tea is the most widely consumed drink after water. It is of tremendous therapeutic, nutritional, and economic importance to consumers. There is documented information on the phytochemical composition of tea plants. There seems to be a dearth of informationon the bioactive components of the plant in the Mambilla plateau. Therefore, this study explores tea clones' bioactive components in the Mambilla plateau, Taraba State, Nigeria. Leaves of Camellia sinensis were collected from the six original clones (CBB36, C68, C143, C236, C318 and C1212) in the Mambila plateau. The tea plant leaves collected were washed and air dried at room temperature for two weeks before powdering using an electric blender. The powdered leaves were poured into an airtight bottle and stored in a dark room. Bioactive compounds in the leaves were extracted by cold maceration and analysed using the GC-MS. The number of compounds identified followed the pattern: clone 68 (25) >clone 1212 (23) > clone 143 (22) >clone236 (17)> clone BB36 (14)> clone 318 (6). It was also observed that all the leaves of the tea clones analysed contained caffeine (clones BB36, 318, 1212, 236, 68) though at varying levels, except clone 143. Also, phenolic compounds like phenol, 2,4-dimethyl-(0.068 mg/ml -0.419 mg/ml), phenol, 3,5-dimethyl-(1.430 mg/ml-2.806 mg/ml), phenol, 2-ethyl (0.318 mg/ml) and phenol, 3-methyl-(2.953 mg/ml)weredetected in leaves of C. sinensis. Several bioactive compounds were identified in the different clones of tea plants that were investigated, and some may be of therapeutic and nutritional importance to consumers.