D. Rahardiyan
By reviewing various works of research by many experts on tea, this mini review elaborates the picture of catechins in tea, especially green tea, and their applications as potential antimicrobial agents. Tea originated in China as a drink with medicinal purposes and to be grew a worldwide beverage. Green tea undergoes minimum oxidation process compared to black tea, thus it may contain the same pharmacological bioactive components, but in different concentrations, except for theaflavins and thearubigens that are mainly found in black tea. Phytochemical screening of green tea leaves revealed various polyphenols, mainly catechins, which play multiple essential roles in plant physiology and have potential health properties and benefits on human health, such as antioxidants, as well as anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antihypertensive, and as antimicrobial agents. Green tea polyphenolic EGCG has the capability to cross-link with many proteins which grants it a wide range of antimicrobial activities possibly by damaging microbial cytoplasmic lipids and proteins. The high concentrations of catechins in tea (Camellia sinensis) were reported to have antimicrobial activities against many pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, a gram-positive bacterium known to be isolated from red meat, therefore making tea catechin an effective antimicrobial agent. In a study model applying up to 1000 ppm tea catechin extract to a biodegradable film, it proved beneficial for home-use wraps for meat, poultry, and seafood, thus expressing the strong potential of tea catechin as an organic antimicrobial agent. © 2019, Rynnye Lyan Resources. All rights reserved.
Faculty of Agriculture, De La Salle Catholic University, 95000, Kairagi Kombos Manado, Indonesia
