Identification, quantification and availability of carotenoids and chlorophylls in fruit, herb and medicinal teas

Teas are important sources of bioactive compounds that can play a role in preventing human diseases. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify carotenoids and chlorophylls in commercial dry herbal and fruit teas and to determine their availability in infusions made from these teas. The majority of commercial dry teas evaluated had complex chlorophyll and related pigment profiles. Teas derived from roots or seeds contained negligible quantities of pigments. Gingko biloba freeze-dried samples had simpler profiles in comparison with the commercial dry tea, suggesting pigment decomposition during commercial processing. From the profiling, 28 high-pigment teas were selected for further analyses as infusions. Of the pigments detected in the teas, only lutein was present in the infusions. There was no simple linear relationship between the levels of lutein in the teas and the amounts in the infusions. The highest lutein level in the infusions was from a Tilia tea, 24.3 μg in a standard 200 mL infusion.