The content of the flavanolic fractions, (-)-epicatechin gallate (I), (-)-epicatechin (II), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate(III), (-)-epigallo-catechin (IV), (+)-gallocatechin (V), (+)-catechin (VI), gallic acid or (-)-gallocatechin gallate (VII) and several other polyphenols was compared in the leaf of tea plants which belonged to Assam variety (A), China variety (C) and its Japan jat (N), and their mutual hybrids.
The tested clones were Akane (AN), Benitachiwase (AN), C17 (C), Benikaori (AN), Tadanishiki (A), Hatsumomiji (AN), Benihomare (A), Satsumabeni (NA), and Benifuji (AC) used for black tea, Yabukita (N), Z1 (N), Y2 (N), U4 (N), Horyoku (A), Karabeni (C), Tamamidori (N), Mie 260 (N), Asatsuyu (N) and Miyoshi (N) used for green tea. The tea plants signatured with A and C are raised in Japan from the seed of Assam and China plants. Further Caucasian, Taiwan indigenous (A), P1 (C), S52 (N), S6 (N), Koro, Seishin (C), Boh (A) and Ceylon (A) were chosen on the account of characteristic features or differences of origin.
During the first, second and third flushes, shoot of each clone which consisted of three leaves and a bud was plucked from a labeled bush grown in this station and was subjected to the estimation of each flavanolic fraction. While hand-made black tea was prepared from these materials and tasted with the liquor characters.
The clones for black tea were richer in all flavanolic fractions, especially in (III) and (I)+(III) except (II) than those for green tea. The latters showed higher proportion of the free flavanols (II)+(IV), although they were rather inferior with absolute quantities of (IV) to the formers. Tasting of black tea indicated a considerable correlation between the scores for color and the galloyl flavanols content (I)+(III).
The relative proportion of the four predominant flavanols (I), (III), (III), (IV) to the totals (I)+(II)+(III)+(IV) in these samples were as follows : The first crop, (I) 11.7-23.1%, av. 16.7%; (II) 3.6-13.9%, av. 8.7%; (III) 39.1-65.1%, av. 51.2% ; (IV) 13.4-34.6%, av. 23.4% ; The second crop, (I) 13.0-25.9%, av. 18.7% ; (II) 4.5-10.9%, av. 7.1% ; (III) 46.5-63.2%, av. 56.9% ; (IV) 11.5-28.0%, av. 17.3% ; The third crop, (I) 10.1-20.4%, av. 15.6% ; (II) 3.9-11.6%, av. 6.0% ; (III) 43.0-66.8%, av. 58.8% ; (IV) 13.8-32.6%, av. 19.6%.
Several clones, i.e. Y2, Seishin, Koro, Benikaori, P1, Caucasian differed considerably from average in flavanolic composition. However most clones resembled each other in their make-up.
(+)-Catechin (VI) was not detected with only several clones. Gallic acid or (-)-gallocatechin gallate (VII) was found in certain clones.
The plants related Assam variety showed generally higher total flavanol content than the Chinese and Japanese. However the varietal difference in relative proportions of the various fractions was not obvious.
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