J. Technology and Education, Vol.17, No.1, pp.17-24, 2010
General Paper
Antioxidative Activities of Low-Caffeine Extract Prepared from Green Tea Leaves
 
Kyoji YOSHINO*
Numazu College of Technology (3600 Ooka, Numazu, Shizuoka 410-8501, Japan)
*k-yoshino@numazu-ct.ac.jp
 
(Received February 17, 2010; Accepted March 25, 2010)
 
Abstract
The antioxidative activities of low-caffeine tea extract (LCTE) prepared from green tea leaves were compared with those of green tea extract (GTE). The yields of GTE and LCTE from tea leaves were 17.3% (w/w) and 10.2% (w/w), respectively. The catechin and caffeine contents of LCTE were ca. 43% and ca. 8% those of GTE, respectively. β-Carotene and α-tocopherol were detected only in LCTE at levels of ca. 0.3% (w/w). LCTE showed the same levels of iron-chelating and radical scavenging activities as GTE in vitro. To study antioxidative activities of LCTE in vivo, male ddY mice were given the following different diets for 6 weeks: normal diet, or that supplemented with 1.0% GTE, with 0.5% LCTE, or with 1.0% LCTE. Diets supplemented with 1.0% GTE, 0.5% LCTE, and 1.0% LCTE tended to lower lipid peroxide contents in mouse plasma in comparison to mice fed the normal diet. In the mouse liver, lipid peroxide contents in 1.0% GTE, 0.5% LCTE, and 1.0% LCTE groups were significantly decreased compared to those of the normal group. Retinol and α-tocopherol contents in the plasma of mice fed diets supplemented with 0.5% LCTE and 1.0% LCTE were significantly higher than those of mice fed the normal diet. These results suggest that supplementation of the diet with LCTE could elevate resistance to oxidative stress in vivo.
 
Keywords: Green tea, Low-caffeine extract, Antioxidant, Mouse