Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Chemical characteristics: tea flowers (Camellia sinensis) and black tea manufactured incorporating tea flowers
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Research Articles | Published: 19 August, 2025
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Keywords: Chemical constituents, Drying of tea flowers, Tea cultivars, Tea flowers, Tea flowers incorporated black tea
Abstract
Tea is rich in biologically active compounds, and tea flowers have been reported to contain chemical constituents similar to those found in tea leaves. While the chemical characteristics of black tea and tea leaves from Sri Lankan tea cultivars have been extensively investigated, there is limited documentation on the chemical composition of tea flowers. Moreover, although tea flowers are occasionally incorporated into tea leaves during the production of specialty teas and black tea, the chemical properties of such blended teas have not been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of tea flowers, black tea manufactured with varying proportions of tea flowers, and tea flowers subjected to different drying methods. The results indicated that catechin and caffeine contents in black tea decreased with increasing incorporation of tea flowers, whereas polyphenol content remained relatively unchanged. Among the tested tea cultivars, tea flowers showed significant variation in catechin and caffeine contents, while polyphenol levels remained consistent. Additionally, oven-dried tea flowers retained significantly higher levels of catechins and caffeine compared to freeze-dried tea flowers, with no significant difference observed in polyphenol content. In conclusion, incorporating a lower percentage of oven-dried tea flowers into black tea is preferable to preserve catechin and caffeine content. These findings provide valuable insights for specialty tea manufacturers, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate drying methods and flower incorporation ratios to optimize the polyphenol and caffeine compositions of the made tea.
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Author Information
Biochemistry Division, Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle, Sri Lanka