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Effect of interaction of epigallocatechin gallate and flavonols on color alteration of simulative green tea infusion after thermal treatment

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Abstract

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and flavonols are important phenolic compounds in green tea. These compounds are sensitive to thermal condition and their structural alteration results in making browning the green tea infusion. This study aimed to research the interaction between EGCG and flavonols during thermal infusion. EGCG and flavonols model solutions were prepared based on concentration in green tea infusion, and their colors appearance and attributes were analyzed in 10 h by thermal treatment. Results showed that kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin accelerated the oxidation of EGCG and made the model solution browning. HPLC analysis revealed there was an obvious shift of a broaden peak in the mixed model solution of EGCG and flavonols after thermal treatment. This broaden peak was further purified on HPLC and solid phase extraction methods to yield colored complexes. The complexes showed the maximal absorption around 424, 442, and 482 nm. MS/MS analysis revealed that the complexes possessed of three components those were consisted of the interaction between EGCG and myricetin. These results indicated that the interaction between EGCG and flavonols might form complexes during thermal treatment, The complexes were contributed to make green tea infusion browning.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China for Young Scholar (Project No: 31101355) and Anhui Provincial Key S&T Special Projects (15czz03116, 1505072038). The authors also sincerely thank Dr. Zheng Li from Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida for the help on revising and editing the manuscript.

Author contribution

Q. Dai and T. Xia designed and supervised the study. Y. He performed the experiment and analyzed data. Q. Dai and Y. He interpreted data and drafted the manuscript. J. Wang, S. Wang, and Y. Yang helped on the experiment preparation and participated in data interpretation. C. Ho helped to the data interpretation.

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Author notes

  1. Qianying Dai and Yuanyuan He have equally contributed to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China

    Qianying Dai, Yuanyuan He, Jing Wang, Shujuan Wang, Yue Yang & Tao Xia

  2. Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, 65 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

    Chit-Tang Ho

  3. School of Biology Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China

    Liping Gao

Authors
  1. Qianying Dai
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  2. Yuanyuan He
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  3. Chit-Tang Ho
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  5. Shujuan Wang
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  8. Tao Xia
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Correspondence to Qianying Dai or Tao Xia.

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Dai, Q., He, Y., Ho, CT. et al. Effect of interaction of epigallocatechin gallate and flavonols on color alteration of simulative green tea infusion after thermal treatment. J Food Sci Technol 54, 2919–2928 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2730-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2730-5

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