Introduction of Tea

Camellia sinensis is a plant that produces the leaves and buds, called as tea. Tea is an
aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of
Camellia sinensis. After water, it is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are
a lot of different types of tea such as black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, pu-erh tea,
purple tea, herbal infusions, and others. Tea is one of the complex chemistry. It is because
tea leaves contain thousands of chemical compounds. When tea leaves are processed, the
chemical compounds within them break down, form complexes with one another and form
new compounds. The most important compounds in fresh tea leaves are polyphenols, amino
acids, enzymes, pigments, carbohydrates, methylxanthines, minerals, and many volatile
flavour and aroma compounds. These components are responsible for producing teas with
desirable appearance, aroma, and taste.

Benefits / Uses of Tea

Rich in antioxidants Good for teeth Improve gut health

Tea contain of Green tea contains an In our mouth, there are two types of
polyphenols that help antioxidant called bacteria. The first bacteria are good which
remove free radicals and polyphenol, which can help reduce the risk of different health
decrease cell damage protect against oral conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity,
especially black tea and diseases, such as and cancer. Another bacteria are bad for our
green tea. gingivitis, and gut. The polyphenols in black tea may help
periodontal disease. the growth of good bacteria, increasing the
overall health of gut.
Anti-inflammatory Help weight loss Increases focus
The polyphenols in tea The caffeine and Black tea and green tea can prevent
can help fight catechins of caffeinated cognitive decline by boosting memory and
inflammation. teas, such as black tea increasing attention span.
Inflammation is the and green tea, may help
body's response to people to get skinny
injury and infection. body.
Chemical/Active Compounds in Tea

There are a lot of chemical or active compounds that can be found in teas, such as:

1. Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that is often found in tea and coffee. It is called as
stimulant because it has a direct effect on nervous system, therefore it’s another name
is a psychoactive drug. It goes to the liver and is broken down into compounds that
can affect the function of various organs which mainly is the brain.

2. Catechins
Catechin is a natural phenol and a part of the chemical family of flavonoids. It is often
found in berries, tea, and cocoa, all of which are foods containing antioxidants. It
consists of two benzene rings, called ring A and ring B, as well as ring C with a
hydroxyl group attached to carbon 3.

3. Amino acids
Amino acids are organic compounds composed of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen, together with a variable side chain group. It is often referred to as the
building blocks of proteins. We need at least 20 different types of amino acids for our
body to function properly.

4. Polyphenols
Polyphenols are micronutrients that naturally exist in plants and often found in red
wine, dark chocolate, tea, and berries. The number of polyphenols in a food can
change depending on where the food is grown, how it is farmed and transported and
how it is cooked or prepared.

5. Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our bodies. They are sugar molecules
and one of the main nutrients in foods where our body will break down carbohydrates
into glucose. Carbohydrates are often found in plant foods, however the total
carbohydrates found in a 100g of plain tea is just 0.2g which is pretty low.
Structure of Compounds

1. Caffeine

2. Catechin

3. Amino acid (theanine)

4. Polyphenols (flavonoids)

5. Carbohydrate (glucose)
Functional Groups and Homolog Series

1. Caffeine
Homolog series: alkene, amide and amine
Functional groups:

2. Catechin
Homolog series: Phenol
Functional groups: Catechin possesses two benzene rings (called the A and B rings)
and a dihydropyran heterocycle (the C ring) with a hydroxyl group on carbon 3. The
A ring is similar to resorcinol moiety while the B ring is similar to a catechol moiety.

3. Amino acids (theanine)

Homolog series: carboxylic acid
Functional groups:

4. Polyphenols (flavonoids)
 Homolog series: aromatic/arene
Functional groups:

5. Carbohydrate (glucose)
Homolog series: aldehyde, alcohol
Functional groups:

References
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beverage
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1/types-of-tea-a-comprehensive-guide

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https://kutv.com/features/sinclair-cares/6-powerful-benefits-of-tea

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https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/What-are-Catechins.aspx

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definition-structure-classification/