Investigation of antioxidant capacity and mineral content of different tea samples

The consumption of various teas and herbal teas is undergoing a renaissance. They are used for the prevention and cure of various diseases and for pleasure. The herbal parts of teas all have valuable nutritional values, which have excellent antioxidant effect, free radical scavenging properties. The beneficial health effect is due to the polyphenols and the rich mineral element content. During the experiment the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of the infusions made from green tea, cranberry, rooibos, honey bush, lemongrass, milfoil and nettle tea, were investigated. The mineral content of the plant parts and teas was also measured. A close correlation was found between polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity indicating the protective role of polyphenols. The antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content of lemongrass and green tea is outstanding compared to the other teas studied, honey bush and nettle showed the smallest content. For magnesium and calcium supplements the cranberry tea is best proposed, For manganese complement it is worth drinking green tea. Lemon grass, cranberry and green tea are the most important phosphorus source. In case of iron deficiency, cranberry tea is recommended, while lemongrass and honey bush tea are the most suitable for zinc supplementation. The results may also have been influenced by the preparation habits, such as the temperature of water or soaking time