Tea Polyphenol Composition and Method for Producing the Same

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a tea polyphenol composition that has reduced bitterness and astringency while containing catechins with high purity. The present invention provides a tea polyphenol composition, (A) comprising 85% by weight to 95% by weight of catechins, (B) wherein the catechins contains epigallocatechin gallate and gallocatechin gallate at a ratio of 65% by weight to 80% by weight and (C) wherein the ratio given by (epigallocatechin gallate+gallocatechin gallate)/(epicatechin+catechin+epigallocatechin+gallocatechin+epicatechin gallate+catechin gallate) is from 2 to 4.

1 . A tea polyphenol composition, (A) comprising 85% by weight to 95% by weight of catechins, (B) wherein the catechins contains epigallocatechin gallate and gallocatechin gallate at a ratio of 65% by weight to 80% by weight with respect to the total amount of all the catechins and (C) wherein the ratio given by (epigallocatechin gallate+gallocatechin gallate)/(epicatechin+catechin+epigallocatechin+gallocatechin+epicatechin gallate+catechin gallate) is from 2 to 4.  
     
     
         2 . The tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio given by (epigallocatechin gallate+epicatechin gallate+gallocatechin gallate+catechin gallate)/(epicatechin+epigallocatechin+gallocatechin+catechin) is from 3 to 7.  
     
     
         3 . The tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio given by (epigallocatechin gallate+gallocatechin gallate)/(epicatechin+epigallocatechin+gallocatechin+catechin) is from 2 to 6.  
     
     
         4 . The tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the catechins contains gallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin, catechin gallate and catechin at a ratio of 2% by weight to 15% by weight with respect to the total amount of all the catechins.  
     
     
         5 . The tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio given by epigallocatechin gallate/(epicatechin+epigallocatechin+epicatechin gallate) is from 2 to 4.  
     
     
         6 . The tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising 0.0001% by weight to 1.2% by weight of caffeine.  
     
     
         7 . The tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising 0.0001% by weight to 0.2% by weight of ash.  
     
     
         8 . The tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1 , not comprising gallic acid.  
     
     
         9 . A method for producing the tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 1  comprising the following steps (1) to (3): 
 (1) extracting tea components which contain catechins from tea leaves with hot water, and carrying out a further extraction with an organic solvent to provide a tea extract;    (2) feeding the tea extract to a synthetic adsorption resin; and    (3) washing the synthetic adsorption resin with a 5% to 15% aqueous alcohol solution, and then eluting the tea catechins by passing a 30% to 50% aqueous alcohol solution through the resin.    
     
     
         10 . A method for producing the tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 2  comprising the following steps (1) to (3): 
 (1) extracting tea components which contain catechins from tea leaves with hot water, and carrying out a further extraction with an organic solvent to provide a tea extract;    (2) feeding the tea extract to a synthetic adsorption resin; and    (3) washing the synthetic adsorption resin with a 5% to 15% aqueous alcohol solution, and then eluting the tea catechins by passing a 30% to 50% aqueous alcohol solution through the resin.    
     
     
         11 . A method for producing the tea polyphenol composition according to  claim 3  comprising the following steps (1) to (3): 
 (1) extracting tea components which contain catechins from tea leaves with hot water, and carrying out a further extraction with an organic solvent to provide a tea extract;    (2) feeding the tea extract to a synthetic adsorption resin; and    (3) washing the synthetic adsorption resin with a 5% to 15% aqueous alcohol solution, and then eluting the tea catechins by passing a 30% to 50% aqueous alcohol solution through the resin.    
     
     
         12 . A method for producing the tea polypnenol composition according to  claim 5  comprising the following steps (1) to (3): 
 (1) extracting tea components which contain catechins from tea leaves with hot water, and carrying out a further extraction with an organic solvent to provide a tea extract;    (2) feeding the tea extract to a synthetic adsorption resin; and    (3) washing the synthetic adsorption resin with a 5% to 15% aqueous alcohol solution, and then eluting the tea catechins by passing a 30% to 50% aqueous alcohol solution through the resin.