Analytical Study of Epicatechin Levels in Green Teas from Different Geographical Origins using Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry

Epicatechin is a type of natural phenol and antioxidant, and it is a secondary metabolite found in green tea. Some research suggests it has a neuroprotective function because it is able to pass through the blood-brain barrier and activate the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pathways. In this work, UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to quantify the levels of epicatechin in the tea samples. The result obtained were used to compare the amounts of epicatechin in up to 20 different brands of green tea from different geographical origins. Various experimental conditions such as different water types for making the tea, temperature and time used for the tea and sugar additives were also investigated to determine their effect on the levels of epicatechin in the green teas. The precision, accuracy, and sensitivity were determined to validate the method. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to discriminate green teas in order to test the hypothesis that there is a difference of epicatechin level in green teas which grow in different geographical origins