PURIFICATION OF TEA CATECHINS

摘要

PURPOSE:To obtain white tea catechins having physiologically active action such at antimicrobial property at a low cost by dissolving low-purity tea catechins separated and recovered from tea leaf extract in an organic solvent and distilling the organic solvent. CONSTITUTION:Low-purity tea catechins separated and recovered from tea leaf extract and composed mainly of epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechingallate and epigallocatechingallate and containing an oxidative polymerizate (brown substance) thereof are dissolved in an organic solvent consisting of one kind of ethyl acetate, methylisobutyl ketone or diethyl ether or mixture thereof and the organic solvent is distilled out under reduced pressure and the residue is powdered by spray drying to provide the objective tea catechins.