Abstract
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), caffeine and pheophorbide-a of tea leaves soaked in water were analyzed.
1) The amounts of GABA increased over 1.5mg/g by soaking them in water for 6 hours in the first crop of tea leaves, and for 15 hours in the second crop of tea leaves.
2) The amount of caffeine had a tendency to decrease by soaking them in water.
3) The amount of pheophorbide-a increased by soaking them in water.
4) The amount of GABA in crude tea produced by soaking in water for 15 hours was 1.61mg/g～2.80mg/g for the first crop of tea and 1.60mg/g for the second crop of tea. However a particularly offensive odor was observed in every crop.
5) The result of this study showed that the amounts of GABA were increased by soaking in water, but caffeine decreased. It became clear that the amount of pheophorbide-a in water soaked tea leaves was less than the standard value established in processed chlorella.
