A Study on the Physicochemical Properties of Korean Teas according to Degree of Fermentation

The present study was conducted to know the physicochemical properties of Korean tea according to degree of fermention. The moisture content of green tea, blue tea, yellow tea and black tea was 2.02∼2.04%. The content of total nitrogen was 3.78 % in green tea and 3.49∼4.03% in fermented tea. The content of the mineral was highest in Ca, Mg. The content of vitamin C was 670.62 mg in green tea and 169.7∼85.03 mg in fermented tea. The content of vitamin C were increased as tea was more fermented. The composition of vitamin E and β-carotene was green tea> blue tea> yellow tea> black tea. The content of the rutin was 0.12 % in green tea and 1.37% in black tea. The content of rutin was increased with fermentation. The content of total amino acid of green tea was 2270.9 mg. The content of main amino acid of Glu, Asp, and Leu was 342.01 mg, 165.32 mg, and 161.69 mg and the hightst content of Glu. The content of total amino acid of black tea was 2,219.08 mg. Total amino acid content of fermented tea increased in the order of black tea> blue tea> yellow tea, and among the tea, the content of black tea was the highest in the fermented tea. The content of caffeine was 1.17% in green tea and 1.05∼1.32% fermented tea. These results were nothing in the content of caffeine during the fermentation. The content of theanine was 0.95% in green tea and 0.73∼1.42% in fermented tea. The content of total catechin was highest in green tea, and decreased sharply as tea was more fermented. Flavonoid content of 1.05% in green tea. DPPH radical scavenge activities of the teas 4.73∼19.5% mg.