COMPARISION OF BLACK AND GREEN TEA INFUSIONS: CATECHIN CONTENTS, ENZYME INHIBITIONS, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES

Objective: The operations involved in the process of tea production result in differences in the aroma and chemical profile of the final tea. In our work, the catechin contents in green and black tea were analyzed, and their application potential in skin care was compared. Under that framework, their tyrosinase (skin-lightening), elastase (anti-wrinkle), and antioxidative activities were studied, as well as the antimicrobial activities and synergistic interactions. Material and Method: Black tea and green tea infusions were analyzed for the contents of catechin and total phenolic/flavonoid. Their antioxidant activities (DPPH•, ABTS+•, CUPRAC), tyrosinase, and elastase inhibitions were measured using the spectrophotometric assays. Infusions and catechin were combined with erythromycin and ciprofloxacin, and the synergistic activities were measured using the Checkerboard assay. Result and Discussion: Green tea exhibited greater antioxidant and antielastase activity than black tea. Likewise, total phenol and total flavonoid contents and the amount of catechin in green tea were greater. The antityrosinase action of green tea was concluded to be lower than that in black tea. The samples displayed the greatest action against the Propionibacterium acnes strain. Although synergistic action wasn't found against the Staphylococcus aureus, it was seen that the infusions of black and green tea displayed the synergistic action with erythromycin against the Staphylococcus epidermidis.