Two phenolic compounds identical to the tea catechin metabolites produced by mammalian intestinal bacteria were isolated from a post-fermented tea produced in Japan. The compounds were determined as (2S)-1-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2",4",6"-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol and (2S)-1-(3',4',5'-trihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2",4",6"-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol by spectroscopic methods. In addition, pyrogallol was also isolated as a metabolite of gallic acid. The catechin metabolites and pyrogallol were detected in post-fermented teas produced in Tokushima, Kochi and Ehime prefectures. Tea epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate and epicatechin-3-O-gallate disappeared in the teas produced in Kochi and Ehime prefectures; instead; gallocatechin and catechin significantly increased. In contrast, the galloylated catechins remained in the tea produced in Tokushima region. The catechin metabolites were not detected in the post-fermented tea produced in Hunan, China, by aerobic microbiai fermentation.
