Comparative Phytochemical Analysis of Green Vs. Black Tea Leaves

Tea is an engrossing beverage based on Camellia sinensis which has grown to be one of the most popular drinks with birds of a feather, the most used type being the green and black tea. Even though the two products are derived from the same plant, their differences in the way they are treated after harvesting them substantially change their phytochemical profiles and their implications on health. The importance of the study was to compare the phytochemical compounds as well as antioxidant action of the tea leaf green and black varieties to form a bias-free comparison by utilizing standard laboratory methods. The presence of essential phytochemicals like phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids was identified through qualitative screening of the two samples. Green tea had significantly higher values of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and as well as the antioxidant activity (by using a DPPH assay). Green tea had a mean TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity was 98.4 mg/g, 85.6 mg/g, and 91.7 % respectively as compared to 76.3 mg/g, 69.5 mg/g, and 783 % in the case of black tea. The differences were significant as established by statistical analysis under the independent samples t-tests (p < 0.05). The above results indicate the better phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of green tea that highlights its higher utility in health promotion and prevention of oxidative stress-related diseases. The findings are in line with the evidence that is accumulating in favour of the utilization of green tea to make functional foods and nutraceuticals.