University of Santo Tomas

Faculty of Pharmacy
Organic Chemistry Laboratory

EXTRACTION OF CAFFEINE FROM TEA LEAVES OF GOLD LEAF

ORGANIC BLACK CHAI SPICE TEA
Aurienne Estanque, Aedel Florida, Mishael Gabriel,
Anaterrica Gatbonton, Bettina Geraldez and Deborah Gomez
Group 4 2C Pharmacy Organic Chemistry Laboratory

ABSTRACT

Caffeine was extracted from the dried tea leaves of Gold Leaf Organic Black Chai Spice tea using
multiple extraction technique. 10 g of leaves was boiled in a solution of 4.4 g anhydrous sodium
carbonate and 100 ml distilled water. Caffeine was extracted three times using 60 ml dichloromethane
from the solution. The mixture was then decanted to collect the residue. The residue was then left for 2
days. The percentage yield was computed by getting the ratio of the weight of the crude caffeine and
weight of the tea leaves used. The percentage yield was 65%.

I. INTRODUCTION

Extraction is defined as a separation leaves with the use of an extracting agent,

technique based on differences in solubilities of
two substances in two immiscible solvents. If
the relative solubilities of the solutes differ in
the two solvents, a partial separation occurs. The
upper, less dense solvent layer is physically
separated from the lower layer. The separation is
enhanced if the process is repeated on each of
the separated layers. Organic chemistry employs
solid-liquid, liquid-liquid, and acid-base
extractions. Liquid-liquid extraction will be used
in this experiment.
dichloromethane. The amount of caffeine
present in 10 g of tea leaves and the percentage
yield from the ratio of crude caffeine and the tea
leaves must be attained. A drying agent like
anhydrous sodium sulfate absorbs the water in
the extract.
II. METHODOLOGY

Liquid-liquid technique isolates the

organic product from inorganic substances. It
has two types: the single extraction and the
multiple extraction. The single extraction
involves single extraction process and it uses the
whole solvent to extract the mixture. Multiple
extraction involves repeated extraction process
and each extraction process uses a divided
solvent.

The main objective of this extraction

experiment is to extract the caffeine from tea
 whooshing sound. Let it stand until the
separation between two layers is clearly visible.
The aqueous solution was discarded after the
extracts were collected. The extract was then
transferred into an Erlenmeyer flask containing
half spatula of anhydrous sodium sulfate. It was
then decanted into a tared evaporating dish. The
extract was left for 2 days since the time was not
enough. The evaporating dish containing the
crude caffeine or the residue was weighed using
an analytical balance. The percentage yield was
now obtained. The group did the multiple
extraction technique.

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram

Before the start of the experiment, the

group arranged the multiple extraction set-up.
Support the separatory funnel in a ring clamp on
a ringstand. Make sure the stopcock of the
separatory funnel is closed. The weight of tea
leaves used and empty evaporating dish was
obtained using the analytical balance. The group
placed 4.4 g of anhydrous sodium carbonate in a
beaker and added 100 ml distilled water. The
substance was then placed in a water bath and
was heated using a bunsen burner until the solid
dissolves. The tea leaves was placed in one bag
to make 10 g of tea bag since each tea bag
contains 2 g. After the solid dissolved, the 10 g
tea bag was added in the said mixture and
covered the flask. The tea mixture was then
boiled on a low flame for 10 minutes. The liquid Figure 2. Multiple Extraction set-up
in the teabag was squeezed by pressing it against
the side of the flask using a glass rod. The III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
mixture was cooled for a few minutes in a room
temperature. After it was cooled, the aqueous Weight of tea leaves used 10 g
solution was extracted three times with 20 ml of
dichloromethane each time in a separatory Weight of evaporating dish + caffeine 94.5 g
funnel. The stopper of the separatory funnel was Weight of empty evaporating dish 88 g
placed in the neck. The separatory funnel was
held upside down and was swirled 10 times with Weight of caffeine 6.5 g
the stem pointing upwards, away from nearby Percentage yield 65%
people while releasing pressure by opening and
closing the stopcock. There is a presence of
 Figure 3. Results obtained from Multiple 1. Braun, R. D. (2016). Britannica.
Extraction
Lafayette, LA, United States.

The formula and solution to obtain the 2. Sturm, N. (2009). Biochemistry II, CHE
percentage yield:
452. CALIFORNIA STATE

UNIVERSITY DOMINGUEZ HILLS.

3. Mohrig. (n.d.). Online Lab Manual

Home. Wellesley College.

4. Pavia, Donald L. et. al. (2005). Organic

Laboratory Techniques: A Small Scale

Approach. Brooks/Cole Thomson

After doing all the entire process in extraction, crude
caffeine was successfully extracted from tea. 6.5 g of Learning, Inc. pp. 697-714
crude caffeine was collected from 10 g of tea leaves.
A percentage yield of 65% was computed after
dividing the weight of crude caffeine to the weight of
the tea leaves used then multiplying it by 100%. For
every 10 g of Gold Leaf Organic Black Chai Spice
tea, an amount of 6.5 g of caffeine can be collected
using the multiple extraction technique. The 6.5 g of
caffeine constitutes 65% of the tea leaves.

IV. CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

Multiple extraction is more efficient because

it allows more caffeine in the mixture to be
extracted. A better recovery will be obtained by
using separate equal volumes of solvent than using
all the solvent in large volumes at once. The
presence of caffeine in Gold Leaf Organic Black
Chai Spice tea is large that more than half of the 10
g tea bag is 65% caffeine. Be careful in handling the
separatory funnel while holding and swirling it
upside down because there is a presence of
whooshing sound and will hurt people nearby if the
separatory funnel is directly pointed at them

V. REFERENCES