Stability of tea polyphenols solution with different pH at different temperatures

Although tea polyphenols possess a variety of biological activities, the oxidative stability of tea polyphenols limits its application in the diet as preventive medicine. To enlarge biological activity of tea polyphenols, we investigated changes of tea polyphenols with different pH (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) at different temperatures (4, 25, and 100°C). Changes in transmittance, deterioration, color values, and contents of catechins were evaluated. The results showed that tea polyphenols with a pH of 3–6 remained stable at 4 and 25°C. With increase of temperature, the tea polyphenol solutions became darker and less green, but deeper yellow in color. When the heating temperature was 100°C, a significant reduction in both total catechins and transmittance was observed. Individual catechins undergo epimerization in this process. Not only temperature and pH, but also heating time influenced the epimerization. Total contents of catechins incubated in pH 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 citrate buffer solutions for 24 h declined by 15, 24, 41, 57, and 96% at 100°C, respectively. Therefore, tea polyphenols were pH-sensitive: the lower the pH, the more stable the tea polyphenols during storage. Storing at low temperature and acidic pH conditions did not significantly affect the characteristics of tea polyphenols.