The detection of pyrogallol in different types of tea / Nor Idha Liana Ishak

Next to water, tea has become one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Many researches performed the antioxidant tests of the tea extract. Mainly, phenolics compound in the tea are responsible towards all the health benefits. The major phenolicsin the tea are catechins. These compounds were targeted by the researchers as they are predominant in tea. The role of antioxidant activities are basically played by this compound. However, its quantity decreases along with the fermentation process. This research will evaluate the amount of pyrogallol (the moiety in catechins) that present in different types of tea. Pyrogallol showed to have the highest antioxidant and antitumor properties in previous studies. The methods involved were Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and chemiluminescence assay. Therefore, qualitative observation was applied, instead of quantitative measurement. From the results, pyrogallol could be detected using TLC in Twinning Lotus Green Tea. In addition, chemiluminescence reaction showed very weak luminescence intensity of red color solution in green tea.