市販茶系飲料の示すフリーラジカル消去活性

Abstract

Tea drinks, prepared from the tea plant classified as Camellia sinensis, contain antioxidative phenolic compounds, like catechins and flavonols. We evaluated the free radical scavenging activities of tea drinks on the market by measuring luminol-amplified chemiluminescence stimulated by the free radical initiator 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane9 dihydrochloride, and the absorption of 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radica cation at 734 nm. Black tea drinks and green tea drinks mostly showed high free radical scavenging activities in either assay, followed in order by oolong tea drinks and blend tea drinks that contain extracts from plants other than the tea plant. Total phenol contents in tea drinks highly correlated with their free radical scavenging activities, indicating polyphenols in tea drinks are the major components contributing to the free radical scavenging activities of tea drinks.