Pharmacogenetic study of tea

1. TEA
Sub- Pharmacognosy-II
By, Dhammadip Nandgaye
M Pharm
(Pharmaceutical Chemistry)

2. TEA
Biological source:
• The botanical name of tea is Camellia sinensis.
• The biological source of tea is prepared leaves and leaf buds of it.
• It belongs to the theaceae family.
• Commonly it is known as tea plant or tea shrub.

3. Morphological features:
• Tea is a evergreen shrub or small tree.
• It is usually trimmed to below 2 m during the cultivation of its leaves.
• It is consist of strong taproot.
• The color of flowers are yellow – white.
• The size of flower is 2.5-4 cm in diameter.
• Its flowers consist of 7 or 8 petals.
• The size of leaves are 4-15 cm long and 2-5 cm broad.
• The young , light green leaves have short and white hairs on the underside.
• Older leaves are deep green in color.
• The tea plant is polymorphic species.
• Its strong taproot giving rise to a surface mat of feeder roots with endotrophic
mycorrhizae.

4. • Leaves are alternate and lanceolate to obovate.
• Leaves are pubescent and sometimes become the glabrous, serrate,
acute or acuminate.
• Flowers are having 1-3 in number.
• Flowers are in axillary or subterminal cymes.
• Flowers are aromatic and consist of 5-7 sepal and petals.
• The pedicles are about 5-15 mm long.
• Ovary 3-5 carpellate and each carple have 4-6 ovulate.
• Capsules are depressed- globose, brownish, lobate and 2 cm broad.
• Capsules are having 1-3 sub- globose seeds in each lobe.

5. 3. Chemical constituents:
• The leaves of tea consist of thease which is an enzymatic mixture containing
an oxidase, which partly converts the phlobatannin into phlobaphene, as
chemical constituent.
• Other chemical constituent present in tea leaves are tannins, caffeine.
• It contain 1-5% of tannin and 10-24% of caffeine.
• In tea leaves theobromine is also present in small amount.
• Tea leaves also consist of theophylline and volatile oil.
• Alkaloid content also present in tea leaves but its amount only depend on
season and age of tea leaves.
• Seeds of C. sinensis contain acylated oleane type triterpenes having
antiallergic activities.
•

6. Major chemical constituents are catechins and theoflavins.
• Physically, tea has both qualities of solution and suspension.
• Caffeine is about 3% of tea’s dry weight.
• Black tea contain dietary mineral manganese about 0.5 miligrams.
• Fluoride is also present in tea in small amount.
• Polyphenols are most abundant chemical constituents present in tea.(30-
40%)
• Example of polyphenols present in tea leaves are flavonoids ,
epigallocatechin gallate and other catechins

7. Uses:
• Drinking black or green tea have beneficial effects on body.
• It is non-alcoholic beverages.
• It has strong antioxidant property due to presence of caffeine in addition with
polyphenols.
• It also have free radical scavenging properties.
• It helps in the inhibition of angiogenesis i.e. the process involving the growth of
blood vessel essential for tumour growth and metastasis.
• It is used to treat genetic haemochromatosis via inhibition of absorption of iron
by tannates and other ligands.

8. • It helps to treat blindness caused due to diabetes which is an angiogenic condition.
• It helps to lower the risk of ischemic heart disease in older man.
• The major application of tea is to maintain cardiovascular health.
• It helps in the prevention of cancer.
• Green and black tea helps to protect against obesity .
• It also helps to treat alzheimer’s disease.

9. 5. Adulterants:
The common adulterants of soapstone, gypsum, graphite, indigo dye and
Prussian blue dye substances.