Black Teas

Black tea Bladderworm Blades Bladex Blanc fixe... 

Volatiles or Aroma. The essential oil, or aroma, of tea provides much of the pleasing flavor and scent of green and black tea beverages. Despite this, volatile components comprise only - 1% of the total mass of the tea leaves and tea infusions. Black tea aroma contains over 300 characterizing compounds, the most important of which are terpenes, terpene alcohols, lactones, ketones, esters, and spiro compounds (30). The mechanisms for the formation of these important tea compounds are not fully understood. The respective chemistries of the aroma constituents of tea have been reviewed... 

Alcohol dehydrogenase (5) and leucine a-ketoglutarate transaminase (33,34) contribute to the development of aroma during black tea manufacturing. Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase are essential to the formation of polyphenols unique to fermented teas. 

Theaflavins. One of the more well-defined groups of flavonoid polymers that forms duriag black tea manufacturiag is that of the theaflavins (14). Exhibiting a bright orange-red color in solution, these are important contributors of brightness, a desirable visual attribute used by professional tasters to describe the appearance of tea infusions. 

There are four main theaflavins common to black teas, and a second group of minor theaflavins, including the isotheaflavins (55) and neotheaflavins (57) (Table 5). The total theaflavin concentration in black tea leaves does not usually exceed 2% and can be as low as 0.3%. At most, only 10% of the catechins in tea flush can be accounted for as theaflavins in black tea and the fate of the remaining catechins is less clear. Theaflavins can be readily determined by direct hplc analysis of tea beverages (48,58,59). 

BlackTea. The black tea manufacturing process has evolved over hundreds of years, until the early part of the twentieth century, Httie was known about the chemical changes. The process consists of the unit operations of withering, rolling, fermentation, firing, and sorting (4). 

Fermentation. The term fermentation arose from the misconception that black tea production is a microbial process (73). The conversion of green leaf to black tea was recognized as an oxidative process initiated by tea—enzyme catalysis circa 1901 (74). The process, which starts at the onset of maceration, is allowed to continue under ambient conditions. Leaf temperature is maintained at less than 25—30°C as lower (15—25°C) temperatures improve flavor (75). Temperature control and air diffusion are faciUtated by distributing macerated leaf in layers 5—8 cm deep on the factory floor, but more often on racked trays in a fermentation room maintained at a high rh and at the lowest feasible temperature. Depending on the nature of the leaf, the maceration techniques, the ambient temperature, and the style of tea desired, the fermentation time can vary from 45 min to 3 h. More highly controlled systems depend on the timed conveyance of macerated leaf on mesh belts for forced-air circulation. If the system is enclosed, humidity and temperature control are improved (76). 

Process Va.ria.tlons. The conventional techniques for tea manufacture have been replaced in part by newer processing methods adopted for a greater degree of automation and control. These newer methods include withering modification (78), different types of maceration equipment (79), closed systems for fermentation (80), and fluid-bed dryers (81). A thermal process has been described which utilizes decreased time periods for enzymatic reactions but depends on heat treatment at 50—65°C to develop black tea character (82). It is claimed that tannin—protein complex formation is decreased and, therefore, greater tannin extractabiUty is achieved. Tea value is beheved to be increased through use of this process. 

Table 6. The Composition of Typical Green and Black Tea Beverages, % wt/wt solids...

The preparation of a lea, even for medieinal purposes, is largely carried out according to experience which is based on the preparation of an infusion of black tea boiled water is poured over the dried herbal drugs, in chopped form, and after being allowed to draw for 5-10 min. strained. 

KATiYAR s K and MUKHTAR H (1997) Inhibition of phorbol ester tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-caused inflammatory responses in SENCAR mouse skin by black tea polyphenols . Carcinogenesis, 18 1911-16. 

Green tea consists of a wealth of simple phenolics (monomers), whereas black tea provides more complex polyphenols (dimers and polymers). It was found that with lipids the simple compounds were more effective antioxidants, while under aqueous conditions, polymers tended to have more activity. Weisburger (2001) suggested that polymers formed from a 2-5 unit polymerisation state seemed to be optimal, probably because the monomer is metabolised and excreted too rapidly, whereas the higher 6-10 unit polymers may suffer from difficulty in penetrating cellular membranes and be poorly absorbed. 

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