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Juvenile hormone III (JH III) maintains larval characteristics in insects and promotes ovary development in adults. Hydroprene, kinoprene, and methoprene are synthesized analogs based on natural JH III. A novel and precise method was established to mitigate the matrix effects and concurrently determine these juvenile hormone analogs in tea employing gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Water addition as a sample extraction approach was utilized and contrasted with protocols excluding water. Concurrently, the sought compounds underwent extraction with 1% (v/v) acetic acid-acetonitrile, followed by purification utilizing 0.1 g graphitized carbon black (GCB), 0.4 g primary secondary amine (PSA), and 0.4 g C18. Following separation via a DB-17MS column, detection of the analytes was conducted through GC-MS/MS in dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (DMRM) mode with quantification by a matrix-matching standard curve. Satisfactory linear relationships were established for the trio of juvenile hormone analogs within a 0.01–0.32 mg/L range, exhibiting correlation coefficients (R2) exceeding 0.999 and quantitation limits (LOQs) approximately spanning 0.005–0.01 mg/kg. Mean recoveries, spanning three concentrations (0.02, 0.1, 0.2 mg/kg), varied between 77.6% and 115.9%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 6) were from 0.5% to 5.8%. Detection of the juvenile hormone analogs was accomplished in tea samples. In summary, this investigation demonstrated a proficient approach in addressing complications by diminishing the matrix effects in a complex sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, quick and environmentally friendly microwave-assisted synthesis method was developed to produce MoS2 nanoparticles (MoS2NP) for the preconcentration of thallium. The characteristics of the synthesized MoS2NP were validated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The determination of thallium was achieved with MoS2NP based preconcentration and a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (MoS2NP-PM-FAAS). A detection limit of 14.6 µg/kg was achieved for thallium using the optimum conditions by the MoS2-PM-FAAS method. The developed method provided an improvement in the detection power of the FAAS system by approximately 20-fold. The applicability of the method was validated with tea samples through spike recovery experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical fingerprinting coupled with chemometrics holds promise for food analysis and authentication. This study evaluated the potential of particle swarm optimization (PSO) for feature selection from voltammetric fingerprints for identification of green, black and oolong teas. Cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were utilized to obtain characteristic electrochemical profiles reflecting the phytochemical compositions. The voltammograms displayed well-defined oxidation peaks corresponding to major tea polyphenols including catechins in green tea and theaflavins in black tea. Peak currents followed the order Ip,A3 > Ip,A4 > Ip,A1 indicating higher theaflavin content in black tea compared to catechins in green and oolong varieties. Excellent reproducibility was achieved with relative standard deviation < 5% for triplicate measurements. This demonstrated the reliability of voltammetric fingerprints for qualitative and quantitative analysis of electroactive tea components. PSO was implemented for feature selection from the high-dimensional voltammetric data. Optimized parameters included inertia weight variation, swarm size of 50, acceleration factors of 2, constriction coefficient of 0.729 and 100 iterations. PSO converged after 40 iterations, reaching minimum cross-validation error at 92 iterations. 15 optimal features were selected including peak potentials, currents, areas, widths and heights representing key oxidation signals. PSO effectively identified the most informative features for discriminating between the tea types. Overall, the study highlighted the benefits of integrating PSO feature selection with voltammetric profiling for robust sample identification. Further chemometric modeling can be investigated for authenticity evaluation and quality control of tea and other agricultural products using this rapid, cost-effective electrochemical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia, owing to its carbon-free attributes, stands as a promising alternative for replacing fossil-based fuels. This study investigates the techno-economic and environmental aspects of gray, blue, and green ammonia production in Indonesia. In this regard, a spreadsheet-based decision support system has been developed to analyze the levelized cost of each mode of ammonia production and their cost sensitivity across various parameters. The results of the analysis show a levelized cost of gray ammonia of $297 (USD) per ton, which is strongly affected by natural gas prices and carbon taxation. Blue ammonia emerges as the most stable production option with a levelized cost of $390 per ton, impacted by natural gas prices and the expenses associated with carbon sequestration. On the other hand, the levelized cost of green ammonia varies between $696 to $1,024 per ton and is predominantly influenced by the choice of electrolyzers, the cost of renewable energy sources, and maintenance and operational expenditures. Furthermore, the study reveals that gray and blue ammonia production result in emissions of 2.73 and 0.28 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of ammonia, respectively, while in-situ carbon emissions from green ammonia can be considered negligible. Overall, this study underscores the potential of implementing green ammonia production utilizing geothermal or hydropower renewable energy resources as viable solutions for decarbonizing the power, industry, and transport sectors in Indonesia. Several policy recommendations aimed at overcoming existing barriers to the development of green ammonia plants in the country are also provided.

Ammonia, owing to its carbon-free attributes, stands as a promising alternative for replacing fossil-based fuels. This study investigates the techno-economic and environmental aspects of gray, blue, and green ammonia production in Indonesia. In this regard, a spreadsheet-based decision support system has been developed to analyze the levelized cost of each mode of ammonia production and their cost sensitivity across various parameters. The results of the analysis show a levelized cost of gray ammonia of $297 (USD) per ton, which is strongly affected by natural gas prices and carbon taxation. Blue ammonia emerges as the most stable production option with a levelized cost of $390 per ton, impacted by natural gas prices and the expenses associated with carbon sequestration. On the other hand, the levelized cost of green ammonia varies between $696 to $1,024 per ton and is predominantly influenced by the choice of electrolyzers, the cost of renewable energy sources, and maintenance and operational expenditures. Furthermore, the study reveals that gray and blue ammonia production result in emissions of 2.73 and 0.28 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of ammonia, respectively, while in-situ carbon emissions from green ammonia can be considered negligible. Overall, this study underscores the potential of implementing green ammonia production utilizing geothermal or hydropower renewable energy resources as viable solutions for decarbonizing the power, industry, and transport sectors in Indonesia. Several policy recommendations aimed at overcoming existing barriers to the development of green ammonia plants in the country are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systemic fluoride intake is predominantly derived from drinking water and tea. It's been noted that water and tea containing fluoride, within the boundaries set by the World Health Organization, can lessen the prevalence of dental caries. A review of the literature did not uncover any study that has examined the impact of fluoride in bottled drinking water and tea on enamel of deciduous and permanent teeth. Thus, we assessed the effects of fluoride present in seven different brands of bottled water from distinct geographical regions of Turkey, and a type of tea produced and packaged in Turkey, on the enamel of deciduous and permanent teeth. Materials and methods: Fluoride analysis was performed on drinking water sourced from seven different regions of Turkey and a brand of tea brewed with these waters. The tea was harvested and packaged in Turkey. The analysis was conducted using an ion-selective electrode. In total, 112 tooth enamel samples (56 deciduous molars and 56 permanent molars) were randomly divided into eight distinct groups. These were kept in water for 15 min and tea for 15 min every day for a month. The eighth group was treated with fluoride gel prior to tea and water applications. The amount of fluoride in the tooth enamel structure was evaluated using an SEM EDX device before and after the experiment. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in fluoride content of enamel between water brands and tooth type (deciduous and permanent teeth). Fluoride levels were higher in the enamel of deciduous teeth than in permanent teeth. Conclusion: Regular exposure of enamel samples to black tea and water led to an increase in fluoride levels in the enamel; thus, regular consumption of black tea and fluoride water could help reduce the prevalence of dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the global childhood obesity, it is essential to monitor the nutrition value of commercial foods. A cross-sectional study (November 2018 to April 2019) aimed to evaluate the nutritional adequacy of processed/ultra-processed food products targeted at 0–36-month-old children in Portugal and in Brazil. The nutrient profiling model developed by the Pan American Health Organization was used. A total of food 171 products were assessed (123 in Portugal and forty eight in Brazil). From the fifteen available meat- or fish-based meals in Brazil, 60 % exceeded the amount of Na and 100 % exceeded the target for total fat. Given the lack of specification of sugars within carbohydrates in the label of the foods in Brazil, it was not possible to calculate free sugars. In Portugal, from the seventeen fruit and vegetable purees and the six juice/smoothie/tea/drinks available, 82 % and 67 %, respectively, surpassed the level of free sugar, while total and saturated fat was excessive in all yogurt and yogurt-related products (n 21), 40 % of biscuit/wafer/crisps (two out of five) and 13 % meat- or fish-based meals (two out of sixteen). These findings demonstrate the relevance of improving the nutritional profile of some food products targeted to young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea is one of the most popular and oldest beverages available in many varieties and the use of different flavoring ingredients is becoming more common. The present study aimed to examine tea consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzed the bioactive compounds of tea flavoring ingredients. At first, a cross-sectional study was carried out with 140 randomly selected participants to determine tea consumption patterns and data was collected through face-to-face interviews. Then 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, the Folin-Ciocalteu technique, and the quercetin method were used to assess antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) of tea flavoring ingredients. The study found that 57.86% of the participants increased their tea consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas 22.80% increased their tea consumption by at least one more cup per day. It was also found that ginger was the most popular (29.5%) among fifteen tea flavoring agents. By analyzing tea flavoring ingredients, the maximum antioxidant activity found in cinnamon was 87%, and lemon leaves had the lowest, which was 60%. On a dry weight basis, the TPC of the tea flavoring components ranged from 36.52 mg GAE/g for cloves to 9.62 mg GAE/g for ginger. The maximum TFC was also found in clove with 13.68 mg QE/g, and moringa was the second highest with 12.26 mg GAE/g. The antioxidant activity of flavoring compounds has a significant correlation (p<0.05) with TPC and TFC. Overall, tea consumption behavior with tea flavoring ingredients increased during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Tea with flavoring ingredients may be one of the best dietary sources of antioxidants, TPC, and TFC which are important for strengthening the immune system and controlling different physiological and metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Herbal tea drinks, different from classical Camellia beverages, are a wide variety of herbal drinks consumed for therapeutic purposes or health promotion. Herbal tea is widely consumed in Guangxi. However, the documentation on the plants for herbal tea and their related health benefits is still limited. Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 52 villages and 21 traditional markets in Guangxi from 2016 to 2021. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaires were applied to obtain ethnobotanical information of herbal tea, in which 463 informants had participated. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were used to evaluate the most culturally significant herbal tea plants, and informant consensus factor (ICF) was applied to assess the agreement among informants. Results: This study recorded 155 herbal tea species belonging to 49 families. The most commonly used parts included leaf (27.61%), whole plant (22.09%), branch and leaf (19.02%), and flower (13.50%). The most frequent preparation method of herbal tea was decoction. Herbal tea was very popular in Guangxi, attributing to its therapeutic value, special odor, and good taste. There are 41 health benefits classified into eight categories. Among them, clearing heat was the most medicinal effects. Local people had high consistency in tonic, removing cold and cough, improving blood circulation, and clearing heat away. Based on CFSI values of each species, the most culturally significant herbal tea species were Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A. M. Lu & Zhi Y. Zhang, Plantago asiatica L., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Pholidota chinensis Lindl., and Morus alba L. Conclusion: Herbal tea is a valuable heritage that carries the local people's traditional knowledge, like health care and religious belief. The recorded herbal tea species in this study possess tremendous potential for local economic development in the future. Further research on efficacy evaluation and product development of herbal tea species is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the seasonal variation in phytometabolite content in Camellia sinensis var. assamica , a prevalent tea variety in Northeast India. Focusing on both bud and dormant leaf (banjhi) samples harvested during the monsoon, autumn, and winter seasons, the research aims to assist cultivators in selecting optimal harvesting times for tea production. An LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for phytometabolite quantification. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) emerged as the most abundant catechin, with concentrations ranging from 78.01±13.31–125.21±5.65 µg/mg in buds during the monsoon and decreasing to 17.86±1.22–51.11±1.21 µg/mg in winter. Banjhi leaves exhibited even higher EGCG levels, from 203.86±21.06–312.58±28.23 µg/mg in the monsoon, dropping to 74.43±15.22–97.52±8.47 µg/mg in autumn. Similarly, epicatechin gallate concentrations in buds ranged from 17.04±2.57–24.78±1.15 µg/mg in the monsoon and decreased to 5.36±0.39–11.16±1.74 µg/mg in winter, while banjhi leaves showed a decline from 63.61±1.60–72.72±1.23 µg/mg in the monsoon, dropping to 12.73±2.07–15.35±1.33 µg/mg in autumn. The study also noted seasonal variations in catechin hydrate, caffeine, gallic acid, theanine, and theaflavin. These findings underscore the importance of harvest timing for maintaining tea quality and optimizing cultivation and processing practices for sustainability amid environmental changes. [Display omitted] • Study analyses seasonal variation in flavonoids, caffeine, gallic acid, theanine, and theaflavin. • Focus on bud and dormant leaf samples harvested during monsoon, autumn, and winter. • LC-MS/MS method developed for precise phytometabolite quantification in Assam tea. • Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is most abundant in monsoon, decreasing significantly in winter. • Findings highlight the importance of harvest timing for optimal tea quality and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Advanced Research in Health Sciences (JARHS) / Sağlık Bilimlerinde İleri Araştırmalar Dergisi (SABİAD) is the property of Journal of Advanced Research in Health Sciences (JARHS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pesticides are used in agricultural production for prevent and control crop diseases and pests, but it is easy to cause excessive pesticides residues in agricultural products, polluting the environment and endangering human health. Due to their unmatched and sustainable capabilities, nanoextraction procedures are becoming every day more important in Analytical Chemistry. In particular, nanoconfined liquid phase extraction has shown extraction capabilities toward polar, medium polar, and/or nonpolar substances, which can be easily modulated depending on the nanoconfined solvent used. Furthermore, this "green" technique showed excellent characteristics in terms of recoveries, extraction time (≤1 min), reliability, and versatility. (97) In this work, the advantages of this technique have been coupled with those of filtration membrane extraction, making use of carbon nanofibers (C n Fs) growth on carbon microspheres (C μ S). This substrate has been deposited on a filter, which combined with gas chromatographic mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis successfully employed for the nanoextraction of 30 pesticides (18 organochlorine and 12 pyrethroids) in tea samples. Under the optimized extraction conditions, the linear range with standard solutions was from 1 to 1000 ng mL−1 (R2 ≥ 0.99), the limit of detections in tea samples were in the range 0.56–17.98 μg kg−1. The accuracy of the developed method was evaluated by measuring the extraction recovery of the spiked tea samples, and recoveries between 74.41 % and 115.46 %. (119) Considering the versatility of nanoconfined liquid phase extraction and the functionality of the filtration membrane extraction procedure, this new extraction method can be considered a powerful candidate for automatized high-throughput analyses of real samples. (34) [Display omitted] • Synthesis of carbon nanofibers onto carbon microspheres (C n Fs/C μ S) has been proposed. • Nanoconfined solvent on C n Fs/C μ S was used to extract 30 pesticides from real samples. • Nanoconfined liquid phase nanoextraction was applied as a membrane extraction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tea is a rich source of functional components called polyphenols which impart it antioxidant properties. Tea is categorized as green or black tea according to the processing method used. Tea is widely consumed beverage, and it is often prepared with the addition of milk and sugar in many parts of the world including India. The present study was conducted to compare the effect of addition of milk and/or sugar, in both black and green teas of two brands (1 and 2), on the antioxidant properties of teas. The total polyphenol, flavonoid and catechin contents along with antioxidant activity were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in green teas then in black teas but the tannin content of black teas was higher than that of green teas. The addition of milk in both black and green teas significantly (p < 0.05) reduced total polyphenol, flavonoid, catechin and tannin contents as well as antioxidant activity. The addition of sugar had significant (p < 0.05) adverse effect on flavonoid and catechin contents, and antioxidant activity. Further, the combined addition of milk and sugar caused significant (p < 0.05) additive/synergistic reductions in flavonoid content of teas of both brands, and in catechin content, tannin content and antioxidant activity of black and green teas of brand 2 only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid detection of tea polyphenol is necessary in food and beverages. In this work, we used cassava fibers as a substrate on which iron nanoparticles were immobilized. The proposed composite was used for surface modification of glassy carbon electrodes to prepare an electrochemical sensor for the detection of tea polyphenols. The SEM characterization results show that the iron nanoparticles on the surface of the cassava fibers were distributed uniformly. We investigated the electrochemical behavior of tea polyphenols on the surface of modified electrodes. The result indicated that the iron nanoparticles could facilitate the electron transfer rate and subsequently enhance the sensing performance. Meanwhile, we have optimized the detection parameters. The proposed sensor can linearly increase the peak current of tea polyphenol oxidation in the range of 3.5–31.5 µM with a equation of I (µA) = 0.01285c + 0.89734 (r = 0.9958). The detection limit can be calculated to be 0.1 µM. In addition, we have validated the proposed sensors in real samples. The results demonstrate that this sensor can be potentially used for the detection of tea polyphenols in beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crush–tear–curl (CTC) black tea is a popular beverage, owing to its unique taste characteristics and health benefits. However, differences in the taste quality and chemical profiles of CTC black tea from different geographical regions remain unclear. In this study, 28 CTC black tea samples were collected from six geographical regions and analyzed using electronic tongue and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography‐Orbitrap‐mass spectroscopy. The e‐tongue analysis indicated that each region's CTC black tea has its own relatively prominent taste characteristics: Sri Lanka (more umami and astringent), North India (more umami), China (more sweetness and astringent), South India (moderate umami and sweetness), and Kenya (moderate umami and astringent). Based on multivariate statistical analysis, 78 metabolites were tentatively identified and used as potential markers for CTC black tea of different origins, mainly including amino acids, flavone/flavonol glycosides, and pigments. Different metabolites, which contributed to the taste characteristics of CTC black tea, were clarified by partial least squares regression correlation analysis. Our findings may serve as useful references for future studies on origin traceability and quality characteristic determination of CTC black teas. Practical Application: This study provides useful references for future studies on the origin traceability and taste characteristic determination of CTC black teas from different geographical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a bowl containing charred suspected tea remains unearthed from the early stage of Warring States period tomb in Zoucheng City, Shandong Province, China. To identify the remains is significant for understanding the origin of tea and tea drinking culture. Scientific investigations of the remains were carried out by using calcium phytoliths analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) and Thermally assisted hydrolysis—methylation Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (THM-Py-GC/MS) techniques. Modern tea and modern tea residue were used as reference samples. Through phytoliths analyses, calcium phytoliths identifiable from tea were determined in the archeological remains. The infrared spectra of the archaeological remains was found similar as modern tea residue reference sample. In addition, the biomarker compound of tea—caffeine was determined in the archaeological remains by THM-Py-GC/MS analysis. Furthermore, through GC/MS analysis, some compounds were found both in the archeological remains and the modern tea residue reference samples. Putting the information together, it can be concluded that the archaeological remains in the bowl are tea residue after boiling or brewing by the ancient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopic sensing provides physical and chemical information in a non-destructive and rapid manner. To develop non-destructive estimation methods of tea quality-related metabolites in fresh leaves, we estimated the contents of free amino acids, catechins, and caffeine in fresh tea leaves using visible to short-wave infrared hyperspectral reflectance data and machine learning algorithms. We acquired these data from approximately 200 new leaves with various status and then constructed the regression model in the combination of six spectral patterns with pre-processing and five algorithms. In most phenotypes, the combination of de-trending pre-processing and Cubist algorithms was robustly selected as the best combination in each round over 100 repetitions that were evaluated based on the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) values. The mean RPD values were ranged from 1.1 to 2.7 and most of them were above the acceptable or accurate threshold (RPD = 1.4 or 2.0, respectively). Data-based sensitivity analysis identified the important hyperspectral regions around 1500 and 2000 nm. Present spectroscopic approaches indicate that most tea quality-related metabolites can be estimated non-destructively, and pre-processing techniques help to improve its accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to compare fluoride levels in commercially available black tea, green tea, and matcha tea. Tea samples were purchased from a local supermarket in the United States and prepared according to the manufacturer's directions to mimic consumer activity. The selected products included 3 black teas (Bigelow Earl Grey, Twinings of London Lady Grey, and Lipton), 2 green teas (Bigelow and Lipton), and 3 matcha teas (Mighty Leaf, Celestial Seasonings, and Matcha Love). For all products except Mighty Leaf and Matcha Love, 250 mL of deionized water (DIW) was heated to boiling. One tea bag was added and stirred for 2 minutes. For Mighty Leaf matcha, 300 mL of DIW was used, but the sample was otherwise prepared as previously described. Matcha Love was prepared by stirring 0.5 tsp of green tea powder for 2 minutes in 30 mL of DIW heated to boiling. A 10-mL aliquot was taken from each tea group and from DIW alone (control) and combined with 10 mL of total ionic strength adjustment buffer (TISAB II) before it was measured with a combination fluoride electrode and pH/ ion meter. The sample size was 5 separately prepared and independently measured tea servings per group. Fluoride concentrations were calculated from a calibration curve constructed from appropriate fluoride standards and then statistically analyzed using analysis of variance followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc test (α = 0.05). The DIW control group had negligible fluoride content. All tested tea samples contained fluoride in amounts ranging from 0.521 to 6.082 mg/L. The mean concentration differed significantly among brands and types of tea. Matcha green tea powder had the highest concentration of fluoride. Most teas contain a higher fluoride concentration than optimally fluoridated water (0.7 mg/L). Dental healthcare professionals should consider this information when advising caries prevention regimens for patients and determining the potential for dental or skeletal fluorosis in at-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of tea dregs is continually increasing along with the growth of people's interest in ready-to-drink beverages. However, the recent development of research on the use of tea dregs is still very limited. The present study was aimed to identify the remnant photosynthetic pigments in tea dregs, determine their composition, and evaluate their potential use as natural antibacterial agents based on light-induced reaction (photosensitization). The tea dregs from six commercial teas, consisting of green and black teas, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a photodiode array detector, and the spectroscopic data were analyzed from 350 to 700 nm. Pigment identification was performed based on spectral characteristics, and pigment composition in the extracts from the dregs was determined by a three-dimensional multi-chromatogram analysis method. The dominant pigment fractions in both tea types were pheophytin a and its isomers, as well as pheophytin b. Although the dregs of black teas generally contain fewer remnant pigments, they possess residual chlorophyll b, which is not found in the dregs of green teas. In thirty-minutes illumination under 50 W red light-emitting diode, the presence of pigments from tea dregs caused up to 0.87 and 0.35 log reduction of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. The disparity of pigments composition among tea types does not strongly influence their photosensitization activity against both bacteria. Hence, upon further application, the amount of total remnant pigments in the dregs could be taken as substantial consideration instead of tea types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Erzincan University Journal of Science & Technology is the property of Erzincan Binali Yildirim Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tea, a widely consumed beverage, has long been utilized for promoting human health with a close correlation to hyperglycemia. The Tea Metabolome Database (TMDB), the most complete and comprehensive curated collection of tea compounds data containing 1271 identified small molecule compounds from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), was established previously by our research team. More recently, our studies have found that various tea types possess an antihyperglycemic effect in mice. However, the bioactive ingredients from tea have potential antihyperglycemic activity and their underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we used a molecular docking approach to investigate the potential interactions between a selected 747 constituents contained in tea and 11 key protein targets of clinical antihyperglycemic drugs. According to our results, the main antihyperglycemic targets of tea composition were consistent with those of the drug rosiglitazone. The screening results showed that GCG, ECG3'Me, TMDB-01443, and CG had great target binding capacity. The results indicated that these chemicals of tea might affect hyperglycemia by acting on protein targets of rosiglitazone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kombucha is a valuable traditional natural tea that contains beneficial compounds like organic acids, minerals, different vitamins, proteins, polyphenols, and several anions. Kombucha possesses anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal activity as well as hepatoprotective effects. Considering the unique properties of Kombucha, several investigations have already been conducted on its nutritional properties. In this review, an effort has been devoted to pool recent literature on the biomedical application of Kombucha under the objectives, including the chemical composition of Kombucha and industrial production, and highlight different properties of Kombucha. Finally, we explain its adverse effects and prospect. This review is an active, in-depth, and inclusive report about Kombucha and its health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi, Fe, and Ti ternary co-doped ZrO2 (BFT-ZrO2) nanocomposites have been prepared by a sol-gel process and used as both adsorbent and matrix for the enrichment and determination of small molecules by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS). The BFT-ZrO2 nanocomposites not only can selectively enrich a wide variety of low-mass toxic pollutants but can also be used as an excellent matrix to enhance the laser desorption/ionization efficiency with low background noise and uniform co-crystalline film. Low limits of detection (LODs) (0.1 pg mL−1 for bisphenol A (BPA), 2 pg mL−1 for tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), 0.1 pg mL−1 for alizarin (AZ), 0.001 pg mL−1for bisphenol S (BPS), 0.01 pg mL−1 for indigo blue (ID), 0.01 pg mL−1 for pentachlorophenol (PCP), 100 pg mL−1 for estradiol (E2), 0.001 pg mL−1 for cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), 0.1 pg mL−1 for crystal violet (CV), 1 pg mL−1 for malachite green (MG), 0.01 pg mL−1 for rhodamine B (RhB), and 0.01 pg mL−1 for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were achieved. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of shot-to-shot are 9.4–24% and of sample-to-sample 5.2–17%. The BFT-ZrO2 matrix was successfully applied to the determination of TBBPA and BPA in tea samples. This method shows a new strategy for determination of toxic compounds in tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin is an anthracycline antibiotic that is used for the treatment of various types of cancer. However, its clinical usage is limited due to its potential life-threatening adverse effects, such as cardio- and nephrotoxicities. Nonetheless, simultaneous administration of doxorubicin and antioxidants, such as those found in green tea leaves, could reduce cardiac and renal tissue damage caused by oxidative stress. The methylxanthine fraction isolated from Bancha tea leaves were tested in vitro for its antioxidant activity and in vivo for its organoprotective properties against doxorubicin-induced cardio- and nephrotoxicities in a rat model. The in vivo study was conducted on male Wistar rats divided into 6 groups. Methylxanthines were administered at high (5 mg/kg body weight) and low (1 mg/kg body weight) doses, while doxorubicin was administered at a cumulative dose of 20 mg/kg body weight. Serum creatinine, uric acid, and urea concentrations, as well as serum enzyme levels (creatinine kinase (CK), creatinine kinase MB fraction (CK-MB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) and electrolytes (Na+, K+, and Cl-), were analysed. In addition, histological analysis was performed to assess cardiac and renal tissue damage. The concomitant administration of Bancha methylxanthines and doxorubicin showed a dose-dependent reduction in the serum biochemical parameters, indicating a decrease in the cardiac and renal tissue damage caused by the antibiotic. Histological analysis showed that pretreatment with methylxanthines at the dose of 5 mg/kg resulted in an almost normal myocardial structure and a significant decrease in the morphological kidney changes caused by doxorubicin exposure compared with the group that received doxorubicin alone. The putative mechanism is most likely related to a reduction in the oxidative stress caused by doxorubicin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Thunbergia laurifolia (TL) is a commonly used herbal medicine in Thailand and in other Asian countries. TL has been approved as a Thai traditional medicine for detoxifying poisons, and the list of possible adverse effects includes hypoglycemia. TL showed hypoglycemic effect in animals possibly due to antioxidant effect and beta-cell preservation. However, the safety of TL herbal tea and its effects on glucose homeostasis have never been investigated in humans. Methods. Twenty healthy volunteers (10 men and 10 women) drank TL herbal tea 3 times/day for 2 weeks. Ten subjects took TL herbal tea 9 grams daily. After the safety of TL herbal tea was established, 10 more subjects took TL 12 grams daily. Clinical and biochemical tests were assessed at baseline and at 2 weeks. Results. Mean age was 34.9 ± 10.2 years, and mean body mass index was 27.5 ± 5.8 kg/m2. Baseline and posttreatment plasma concentrations were as follows: fasting plasma glucose (89 ± 6 vs. 89 ± 7 mg/dL), fructosamine (213 ± 32 vs. 212 ± 33 μmol/L), fasting insulin (8.8 [IQR: 5.9–18.4] vs. 10.4 [IQR: 7.4–15.2] μU/mL), HOMA-B (101.6 [IQR: 82.3–189.8] vs. 120.4 [IQR: 93.2–153.2]), and HOMA-IR (1.1 [IQR: 0.8–2.3] vs. 1.4 [IQR: 0.9–2.0]), all respectively. There were no significant changes in these parameters, including body weight, blood pressure, lipid profile, and C-reactive protein. No serious adverse events were observed during the study period. Conclusions. TL herbal tea at doses of 9 and 12 grams daily had good tolerability without any significant adverse effects on fasting plasma glucose level or other glucose homeostasis parameters measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to study the correlation between acute and habitual intakes of flavonols, their main food sources and their 24-h urinary concentrations in an European population. Methods: A 24-h dietary recall (24-HDR) and 24-h urine samples were collected on the same day from a convenience subsample of 475 men and women from four countries (France, Italy, Greece and Germany) of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. A standardized 24-HDR software and a country/centre-specific validated dietary questionnaire (DQ) were used to collect acute and habitual dietary data, respectively. The intake of dietary flavonols was estimated using the Phenol-Explorer database. Urinary flavonols (quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol) were analysed using tandem mass spectrometry with a previous enzymatic hydrolysis. Results: Weak partial Spearman correlations between both dietary acute and habitual intake and urinary concentrations of quercetin (both Rpartial ~ 0.3) and total flavonols (both Rpartial ~ 0.2) were observed. No significant correlations were found for kaempferol and isorhamentin. Regarding flavonol-rich foods, weak correlations were found between urinary concentrations of quercetin and total flavonols and the acute intake of onions and garlics, fruits, tea, and herbal tea (all Rpartial ~ 0.2). For habitual intake, statistically significant correlations were only found between urinary quercetin concentration and herbal tea (Rpartial = 0.345) and between urinary total flavonol concentration and tea, and herbal tea consumption (Rpartial ~ 0.2). Conclusions: Our results suggest that urinary quercetin level can be used as potential concentration biomarkers of both acute and habitual quercetin intake, while urinary concentrations of flavonols are unlikely to be useful biomarkers of individual flavonol-rich foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and mineral elements and their stoichiometric methods were examined as possible factors that could certify Chinese tea based on its production years. A total of 43 multi-element stable isotope ratios of Xiangzhujing Pu'er tea in five production years were determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) methods. Two unsupervised learning techniques (principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis) and three supervised learning techniques (partial least squares discriminant analysis [PLS-DA], back-propagation artificial neural network [BP-ANN], and linear discriminant analysis [LDA]) were used on the basis of 18 statistically significant multi-elemental stable isotope ratios to build authentication models for Pu'er tea. The clustering abilities of the two unsupervised learning methods were worse than those of the three supervised learning methods. The three supervised models correctly separated the corresponding production years of the samples. The authentication performance was obtained through BP-ANN and LDA, with 100% recognition and prediction abilities, which were better than those of PLS-DA. δD, δ13C, and 154Sm/152Sm were determined as the markers for the accurate authentication of Pu'er tea in different production years. The profiles of multi-element stable isotope ratios obtained via ICP-MS and EA-IRMS with chemometric methods could serve as potential and powerful factors for authenticating Chinese tea in different production years. This study contributed to the generalization of the use of multi-elemental stable isotope ratio fingerprinting as a promising tool for testing the authenticity of tea worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Due to the health concerns of people about caffeine, several techniques have been developed to remove caffeine from tea; however, these techniques include limitations. The objective of the present study was to remove caffeine from dried tea leaves using hot water treatment. Materials and Methods: Hot water treatment was used to decaffeinate green and black tea leaves using two stages of brewing. Caffeine of the tea infusions was extracted using liquid-liquid extraction technique and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Furthermore, pH, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were assessed using electronic pH meter, Folin-Ciocalteu method and ABTS method, respectively. Sensory evaluation was carried out using 5-point hedonic scale test. Tea infusions were prepared within two stages of brewing at 1, 3 and 5 min as primary and 7 min as total brewing times. Results: After 3 min of primary brewing time, decaffeination rates of Ceylon black, China green and Iranian green teas were assessed as 47.7, 81.55 and 85.99%. Antioxidant activity of these samples included 87.7, 85.99 and 81.55%, while total polyphenol content included 83.03, 44.44 and 37.7%, respectively. In general, pH and total polyphenol content of decaffeinated tea-mint infusions increased significantly. Conclusions: Effects of brewing time on caffeine concentration of the tea infusions were revealed in this study. In conclusion, hot water treatment is a safe method and includes a high efficiency for the decaffeination of green and black teas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the color stability of hybrid ceramics and to compare it to composite and lithium disilicate ceramics. Materials and Methods: One hundred eighty samples were fabricated and processed with a semiautomatic grinding and polishing device (final step: 1200 grit). After thermocycling, samples were immersed in a staining solution (five subgroups: water, red wine, curry, black tea, cola) for 4 weeks. A spectroradiometer was used to determine the color of the samples in CIE L*a*b*. Color measurements were performed before staining (baseline, initial color), after thermocycling, after 2 and 4 week storage in staining solution and each after a two stage repolishing approach. Discoloration of specimens was calculated by means of ΔE00 compared to baseline values. Results: All factors (material, staining solution, aging stage) were significantly associated with the extent of discolorations (P <.001). Maximum color changes occurred after 28 days staining (EN: ΔE00 = 4.5 ± 4.0; GB: ΔE00 = 5.0 ± 4.5; LS: ΔE00 = 3.0 ± 2.3) clearly exceeding the 50:50 threshold for acceptable color deviations. Due to repolishing, discoloration of LS samples was almost completely eliminated (ΔE00 = 0.4 ± 0.3) and significantly reduced for the other two materials (EN: ΔE00 = 1.0 ± 0.9; GB: ΔE00 = 0.9 ± 0.4; P =.428). Conclusion: Discoloration of hybrid ceramics ranged in‐between lithium disilicate and composites, however more comparable to composites. Repolishing could reduce discolorations substantially. Clinical Relevance: This study should help dental practitioners to estimate the color stability of common dental materials and the effect of polishing in removal of discolorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea is a source of natural color. Extraction of colored as a byproduct will make tea more remunerative. This study suggested the optimal conditions for natural color extraction from black tea waste. Tea manufacture waste was used in different concentration of solvent ethanol: water (50:50, 30:70, 10:90, and 0:100), time (30, 60, and 90 min) and temperature (20, 50, and 80°C). Factorial experiment with three factors (solvent, time and temperature) was performed in a completely randomized design with three replications. Extracted color was used in jelly compared to commercial color. According to the results, the total color extracted from 50:50 ethanol: water at 80°C was more than the other conditions (p =0.01). In 80°C, time has no significant effect on color extraction in different solvent ratios. Extracted color had antioxidant activity in compared to commercial color. The taste of jelly colored by extracted color was no significant difference in compared with the jelly colored by commercial color (p=0.05). Although the difference in outward appearance was easily detected by panelists, they preferred tea extracted color jelly in compared to commercial colored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rooibos types and forms and how prepared and flavoured influence the total polyphenol content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Aim: To denote an optimal rooibos cup as having the highest total polyphenol content and TAC, considering the different types, forms, preparation methods and flavourings and amounts (Phase 1), and determine the demographic, lifestyle and rooibos consumption characteristics of adult rooibos consumers, and the association of these characteristics with drinking the optimal cup (Phase 2). Setting: Assays: Oxidative Stress Research Centre, Cape Peninsula University of Technology; Consumer survey: George area, South Africa. Method: Phase 1 entailed determining the total polyphenol content (Folin-Ciocalteau method) and TAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay) of the prepared rooibos samples. For Phase 2, a developed, pilot tested questionnaire was used to profile adult rooibos consumers. Results: Phase 1: the following samples delivered higher total polyphenol content and TAC: green (type), green leaves and powdered extract (forms), and sample steeped for 10 min or longer (preparation method). The identified optimal cup was sample steeped for 10 min or longer. Phase 2: a total of 308 respondents completed the questionnaire. Few consumed more than one rooibos cup per day (25.3%; n = 78) and the optimal cup (15.9%; n = 49). These latter respondents comprised those who steeped rooibos in a teapot (not a cup or mug) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The optimal cup was identified as sample steeped for 10 min or longer. The rooibos consumers did not consume it sufficiently, nor steeped it long enough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iced teas (ITs), also known as ready-to-drink teas, have gained much popularity among many nations. The modulatory effect of tea beverages on CYP3A4 increases the possibility of their potential interactions with many coadministered medications. Being a substrate of CYP3A4, sorafenib (SOR), the first-line therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, shows a great probability to exhibit pharmacokinetic (PK) interaction with ITs. For this purpose, different groups of Wistar rats were given oral doses of SOR (40 mg/kg), along with different types of ITs. The concentration of SOR in rat plasma was determined using UPLC-MS/MS. Chromatographic analysis was performed on a C18 analytical column, Acquity UPLC BEH™ (100 × 1.0 mm, i.d., 1.7 μm particle size), using erlotinib (ERL) as an internal standard. Isocratic elution was performed with a mobile phase consisting of two solvents: solvent A (water with 0.1% formic acid) and solvent B (acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid), in a ratio of 30 : 70, v/v, respectively. Quantitation was performed using MRM of the transitions from protonated precursor ions [M+H]+ to product ions at m/z 465.12 > 252.02 (SOR) and m/z 394.29 > 278.19 (ERL). The method was fully validated as per the FDA guidance for bioanalytical method validation in the concentration range of 2.5–500 ng/mL. Different PK parameters were calculated for SOR in all rat groups and groups administered with ITs and SOR, compared with groups with simply water and SOR. Experimental data revealed that ITs caused a general reduction in SOR bioavailability; an approximate reduction of 30% was recorded for all types of tested ITs. These data indicate that ITs could affect the PK profile of SOR in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of antibacterial agents to composites on color changes after immersion of these composites in different beverages. Materials and Methods: Composite resins containing antibacterial agents (bioactive glass [BAG] and nano‐zinc silicium [NZS]) and a control group (no agent) were produced. The treatment groups were as follows: control, BAG, NZS, and BAG + NZS. Forty‐eight disc‐shaped specimens (8 mm in diameter and 2‐mm thick) were prepared, with 12 specimens in each group. Color measurements were measured before and after immersion of the specimens in staining solutions (tea, coffee, and water) for 1, 7, and 30 days. The color measurements were repeated, and changes were calculated using the CIEDE2000 (ΔE00) formula. Results: Color differences were analyzed using a two‐way analysis of variance and Tukey's tests. Significant differences were observed among the composite groups and solutions after all days in all the groups (P < .05). Conclusions: The addition of the antibacterial agents did not reduce color changes. Color changes of the specimens immersed in coffee were greater than those of the specimens immersed in the other beverages, with the highest color change observed in the BAG groups. Clinical Significance: The results provide information on the color stability of composite resins containing BAG and NZS and the staining potential of drinks commonly consumed in daily life. In terms of esthetic dentistry, BAG and NZS containing composites should be used in the posterior region, where there is a high risk of caries due to coloration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to isolate a-glucosidase inhibitory constituents from Malus halliana Koehne tea. The ethyl acetate and n-butanol extract of M. halliana tea showed α-glycosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 332.24 and 168.92 μg/mL, respectively) and eleven compounds (1-11) were isolated and identified by extensive NMR data (¹H and 13C NMR) and mass spectrum. Eleven compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time, and compounds 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 were isolated from the genus for the first time. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of compounds 6, 8, 9 and 10 (IC50 6.32, 15.53, 37.68 and 7.87 μM) were better than that of other compounds (IC50 > 200 μM). Compounds 1~5 and 11 displayed moderate inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, with IC50 values of 226.76~435.56 μM, whereas compound 7 (IC50 3246.17 μM) was inactive, and lower than that of acarbose as positive control (IC50 1819.72 μM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Untargeted metabolic analysis of Tieguanyin tea was developed. • Metabolites of teas with different seasons/years were analyzed by UPLC–Q-TOF/MS. • The differences of chemical components were revealed by heat map analysis. Abstract The taste and aroma quality of Tieguanyin tea fluctuate seasonally and yearly. However, the compounds responsible for the seasonal and year variations of metabolic pattern and its sensory quality are far from clear. 60 Tieguanyin tea samples harvested in different years and seasons were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–Q-TOF/MS) and chemometrics. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 33.2% of the total variance, while orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) can obtain potential metabolites with better discrimination, and with R2X and Q2 of cross-validation as 0.974 and 0.937, respectively. Subsequently, heat map analysis (HCA) visualized relationships between Tieguanyin teas with these significantly different potential metabolites by Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the best discriminate metabolites contributing to different sensory qualities were revealed by stepwise liner discrimination analysis (SLDA) with 100% accuracy rate. The present strategy also exhibited great potential for untargeted metabolomics of other foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • NMR is used to characterize the compositional changes of two different dark teas. • Catechin metabolisms are different between aerobic and anaerobic fermentations. • Anaerobic fermentation using LAB retains anti-glycation activity of dark tea. • Pyrogallol is a potent anti-glycation metabolite produced in the LAB fermentation. Abstract Post-fermented tea (dark tea) is produced from enzyme-inactivated fresh tea leaves by microbial fermentation. Batabata tea and Awaban tea are two major dark teas fermented under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. However, how their chemical compositions and functionalities change during different post-fermentation processes remains unclear. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based analyses showed that (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and (−)-epicatechin (EC) decreased in Batabata tea during post-fermentation with aerobic molds. In contrast, EGC and EC increased, and pyrogallol was produced in Awaban tea during post-fermentation with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The anti-glycation activities of two dark teas were investigated using an in vitro assay system with human serum albumin (HSA). The anti-glycation activity decreased in Batabata tea, but it was retained in Awaban tea during post-fermentation. Our results showed that post-fermentation with LAB was an efficient way to enhance phenol content and that pyrogallol contributed to anti-glycation activity of Awaban tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Different grades of Bai Mudan white tea showed differential metabolite composition. • The grade variation of Bai Mudan white tea was revealed by multivariate analysis. • 21 Structurally-identified metabolites correlated with tea grade variation. • Non-targeted metabolomics could be used for Bai Mudan white tea grade evaluation. Abstract So far, the chemical quality of different grades of white tea has largely remained unexplored. The objective of this study was to establish a model for quality evaluation of different grades of Bai Mudan white tea. We applied non-targeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in combination with multivariate analysis and analyzed four different grades of Bai Mudan white tea. We found that the metabolite composition from the super-grade and the first-grade shared higher similarity compared to the second-grade or the third-grade white tea, and the Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis model showed high capability to explain the sample variation (R2Y = 0.998, Q2 = 0.95 in negative ionization modes). In total, 93 metabolites were structurally identified, wherein 21 low abundant metabolites showed distinct changes in abundance that were closely correlated with tea grade variation. These findings suggested their potential as markers to discriminate different grades of Bai Mudan white tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Kawakawa (Piper excelsum) has food, medicinal and cultural importance to the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand, and is being incorporated into a range of commercial food and therapeutic products, including tea. In this study, the chemical compositions of kawakawa fresh leaves, dried leaves for tea, and hot brewed tea, were analysed and compared. The key metabolites were diayangambin, elemicin, myristicin, unidentified lignans and amides. The safety of brewed tea and tea leaves were evaluated in 8 week old Sprague Dawley rats in a 14 day acute study followed by a 28 day subacute study. In the 14 day study, the rats received the equivalent of 1, 2, 3 or 4 cups of kawakawa tea, and the rats in the 28 day study received daily doses that were equivalent to 4 cups per day. There were no adverse effects observed in the rats, and body weights and food intakes were not significantly different between the control and the kawakawa treated animals. There were small differences in organ weights, biochemical and haematology parameters observed in the rats given the kawakawa tea. In conclusion, the consumption of kawakawa tea could be considered safe within the conditions used in this study. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The potential of selected spectroscopic methods - UV–Vis, synchronous fluorescence and NIR as well a data fusion of the measurements by these methods - for the classification of tea samples with respect to the production process was examined. Four classification methods - Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), Regularized Discriminant Analysis (RDA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) - were used to analyze spectroscopic data. PCA analysis was applied prior to classification methods to reduce multidimensionality of the data. Classification error rates were used to evaluate the performance of these methods in the classification of tea samples. The results indicate that black, green, white, yellow, dark, and oolong teas, which are produced by different methods, are characterized by different UV–Vis, fluorescence, and NIR spectra. The lowest error rates in the calibration and validation data sets for individual spectroscopies and data fusion models were obtained with the use of the QDA and SVM methods, and did not exceed 3.3% and 0.0%, respectively. The lowest classification error rates in the validation data sets for individual spectroscopies were obtained with the use of RDA (12,8%), SVM (6,7%), and QDA (2,7%), for the UV–Vis, SF, and NIR spectroscopies, respectively. NIR spectroscopy combined with QDA outperformed other individual spectroscopic methods. Very low classification errors in the validation data sets - below 3% - were obtained for all the data fusion data sets (SF + UV–Vis, SF + NIR, NIR + UV–Vis combined with the SVM method). The results show that UV–Vis, fluorescence and near infrared spectroscopies may complement each other, giving lower errors for the classification of tea types. Graphical Abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The potential of UV-Vis, SF and NIR spectroscopies for classification of tea samples was investigated. • The lowest classification error for the UV-Vis, SF, and NIR spectroscopies were obtained with the use of RDA, SVM, and QDA. • UV-Vis, SF, and NIR spectroscopies complement each other, giving lower errors for the classification of tea types. • The lowest classification error (<1.4%) of tea samples was obtained for data fusion of the NIR and UV-Vis spectroscopies. • SVM outperforms the LDA, QDA, and RDA classification methods in distinguishing tea types for data fusion models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Tea plant is an important economic crop and is vulnerable to drought. A good understanding of tea drought tolerance mechanisms is required for breeding robust drought tolerant tea varieties. Previous studies showed mesophyll cells' ability to maintain K+ is associated with its stress tolerance. Here, in this study, 12 tea varieties were used to investigate the role of mesophyll K+ retention ability towards tea drought stress tolerance. A strong and negative correlation (R2 = 0.8239, P < 0.001) was found between PEG (mimic drought stress)-induced K+ efflux from tea mesophyll cells and overall drought tolerance in 12 tea varieties. In agreement with this, a significantly higher retained leaf K+ content was found in drought tolerant than the sensitive tea varieties. Furthermore, exogenous applied K+ (5 mM) significantly alleviated drought-induced symptom in tea plants, further supporting our finding that mesophyll K+ retention is an important component for drought tolerance mechanisms in tea plants. Moreover, pharmacological experiments showed that the contribution of K+ outward rectifying channels and non-selective cation channels in controlling PEG-induced K+ efflux from mesophylls cells are varied between drought tolerant and sensitive tea varieties. Highlights • Mesophyll K+ retention is an important component for drought tolerance mechanisms in tea plants. • Non-selective cation channels (NSCC) play a major role in controlling K+ efflux from tea leaf mesophyll cells under drought. • The contribution of the K+ selective channels and NSCC channels is varied in tea varieties contrasting in drought tolerancee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free amino acids are an important indicator of the freshness of yellow tea. This study investigated a novel procedure for predicting the free amino acid (FAA) concentration of yellow tea. It was developed based on the combined spectral and textural features from hyperspectral images. For the purposes of exploration and comparison, hyperspectral images of yellow tea (150 samples) were captured and analyzed. The raw spectra were preprocessed with Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing. To reduce the dimension of spectral data, five feature wavelengths were extracted using the successive projections algorithm (SPA). Five textural features (angular second moment, entropy, contrast, correlation, and homogeneity) were extracted as textural variables from the characteristic grayscale images of the five characteristic wavelengths using the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM). The FAA content prediction model with different variables was established by a genetic algorithm-support vector regression (GA-SVR) algorithm. The results showed that better prediction results were obtained by combining the feature wavelengths and textural variables. Compared with other data, this prediction result was still very satisfactory in the GA-SVR model, indicating that data fusion was an effective way to enhance hyperspectral imaging ability for the determination of free amino acid values in yellow tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • New hydrophobic liquid deep eutectic solvents with high density were prepared. • The new deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were used as extraction agents in DLLME. • The microvolume DES-rich phase is in the bottom, easy to be collected. • DES aggregates (800 nm–5.6 μm in diameter) were found in the DES-rich phase. • The new DLLME is simple, rapid, efficient and eco-friendly for extraction of pyrethroids. Abstract A series of new hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs), which are liquid at room temperature and have high density (>1.4 g mL−1), were synthesized using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) as hydrogen-bond donor and l -carnitine/betaine as hydrogen-bond acceptor. Then these hydrophobic DESs were used as extraction solvents to establish dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method for extraction of pyrethroids. The DES extraction phase was in the bottom after DLLME, being easy to be collected for analysis. After optimization by one-variable-at-a-time and response surface methodology, the enrichment factors of 265–360 were achieved for five pyrethroids. The proposed DLLME method coupled with HPLC has good performance: linear ranges of 0.25/0.5/1–100/200/400 ng/mL (r ≥ 0.9990), limits of detection of 0.06–0.17 ng mL−1, relative recoveries of 85.1–109.4%, intra-day and inter-day RSDs below 7.5%. The novel DLLME method is simple, rapid, highly efficient and eco-friendly for extraction of pyrethroids in real tea beverages and fruit juices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-linked polymeric colloids are coated over porous polysulfone support by a simple method to prepare high-flux membrane for separation of tea polyphenols. The colloidal particles were prepared by electrostatic interaction and cross-linking between poly(vinyl alcohol) and maleic acid. The membrane exhibited >90% rejection of polyethylene glycol of 6000 Da molecular weight. The membranes exhibited flux of about 15-20 LMH with 70-90% polyphenol retention depending upon the coating and support types at 500 psi and had shown stability under continuous running of the separation experiments in water or methanol at pressurized condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Presents the development of a method for analysis of bioactive compounds. • The method is based on the principles of green chemistry with high recovery. • Multivariate analysis in the classification of brands and the processing levels of the teas. Abstract This study deals with the development of a separation and quantification method by high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC- DAD), for the determination of phenolic acids and methylxanthines in tea (Camellia Sinensis) samples. Six phenolic acids (Gallic, trans -cinnamic, caffeic, ferulic and p-coumaric acids) and two methylxanthines (caffeine, theobromine) were studied, according to the principles of green chemistry, with the goal of comparing teas with different processing level. After development and validation of separation and extraction methods was applied to 11 extracts obtained by infusions of green and black tea samples in commercial areas of the city of Salvador-BA, showing feasible and efficient. Was employed multivariate data analysis and the Tukey test to correlate the chromatographic profile with the different samples. Principal component and analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used for the chromatographic analysis, allowing the visualization of two groups, formed by green and black tea samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, the aqueous extract obtained from Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia glomerata) roots (BGR), rich in beta-ecdysone and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), was powdered by spray drying and freeze drying techniques aiming to obtain a novel functional food product. The effects of these drying techniques on the chemical and nutritional quality, morphological and redispersion properties of the BGR powders were evaluated. The BGR powders obtained by both spray drying and freeze drying techniques maintained their beta-ecdysone and FOS contents after drying, demonstrating the stability of these functional compounds. It was found that the wettability of the powders obtained by different treatments was affected by the drying technique because freeze-dried particles reached the lower values (66 ± 5 s) while spray-dried particles showed a greater time for dispersion into water (150 ± 25 s). This behavior was mainly associated with differences between powder morphological properties since the freeze-dried particles presented a more porous structure, resulting in a greater water diffusivity into microstructure during the redispersion process. Drying process did not affect the storage stability of powders because the glass transition temperature (Tg) for both samples was approximately 160 °C at a relative humidity of 56%. Thus, both BGR powders presented adequate redispersion properties to constitute a new functional tea or even to be used as a functional ingredient in food products. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • An instant powder rich in bioactive compounds was obtained in this work. • Brazilian ginseng extract was dried by spray drying and freeze drying. • The dried powders maintained their fructooligosaccharides and beta-ecdysone contents. • The powders presented satisfactory redispersion properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of discriminating harvest seasons of tea by the multi‐elemental fingerprinting technique. A total of 162 tea leaf samples were collected in spring, summer and autumn of 2015 and 2016 respectively. The concentrations of 25 elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Analysis of variance and linear discriminant analysis were performed to analyse the differences of tea leaves of different harvest seasons and years and identify the seasons and years of tea leaves. The results showed that tea leaves of different harvest seasons and years had their own elemental profiles. For tea leaves of 2015 and 2016, using the established discriminant models, the total accuracy of season‐based identification reached 95.1% and 87.7% respectively. The classifications of tea leaves of different years were 100% accurate. Therefore, the multi‐elemental fingerprinting technique can be used to identify harvest seasons of tea. Multi‐elemental fingerprints could be used to classify harvest seasons of tea leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We simulated herbivory on moderately and severely drought stressed tea plants. • Non-volatile metabolites were unaffected by drought stress nor simulated herbivory. • Most volatiles were not induced by simulated herbivory under severe drought. • Methyl salicylate had greater induction by simulated herbivory under severe drought. • Drought affects plant responses to biotic stress with consequences for tea quality. Abstract Plants often experience multiple sources of stress simultaneously, yet little is known about interactive effects of multiple stressors on plant metabolic responses. Plants are well known to respond to both drought and insect herbivory through the induced production of secondary metabolites. However, severe drought stress limits photosynthesis and may therefore inhibit the production of induced secondary metabolites in response to herbivory due to carbon limitation. On the other hand, drought-stressed plants may be primed to respond more strongly to herbivory due to hormonal crosstalk or redundancy of metabolites that are produced in response to drought and herbivory. We tested the interactive effects of drought and simulated herbivory in tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze var. sinensis) grown in the field under varying rainfall interception treatments and then exposed to an exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment. We show that severe drought generally inhibits the induction of secondary metabolites by exogenous MeJA (simulated herbivory). However, a few volatile metabolites, including methyl salicylate, are more strongly induced by MeJA in severely drought-stressed plants compared to moderately stressed plants, possibly due to priming by drought stress. Our approach of using multiple levels of drought stress and a targeted/untargeted approach to measuring volatile metabolites was essential to discovering these patterns of induction. In addition to having implications for plant-herbivore interactions in the presence of abiotic stress, these results have important implications for tea quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]