Matcha Green Tea: Chemical Composition, Phenolic Acids, Caffeine and Fatty Acid Profile.

Matcha-Japanese powdered tea-is a variety of green tea (Camellia sinensis L.), one of the most popular beverages in the world. Due to the unique way it is grown, it contains high concentrations of health-promoting phytochemicals. The aim of this study was to determine the basic nutritional and phenolic composition of dry matcha green tea powder. The fibre content was determined according to the enzymatic-gravimetric method. Crude protein was measured by the Kjeldahl method. The total fat content was measured by the Soxhlet method, and the fatty acid profile was defined by the GC method. The determination of the phenolic acid and caffeine content was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The total fibre content of matcha was 56.1 g/100 g, with 52.8 g/100 g (94.1% of total fibre) of insoluble dietary fibre and 3.3 g/100 g of soluble fibre (5.9% of total fibre). The total protein content was 17.3 g/100 g. The total fat content in dry matcha was 7.285 g/100 g, comprising varying proportions of individual fatty acids, the highest ones being those of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid. The caffeine content of matcha tea was 2213.492 µg/g. With regard to phenolic acids, the highest content was estimated for gallic acid (252.3755 µg/g). Matcha showed a particularly high content of total dietary fibre, with a predominance of the insoluble fraction. Matcha was found to be a valuable source of plant protein and unsaturated fatty acids, mostly of the omega-3 fatty acid family.

Fluoride Content of Matcha Tea Depending on Leaf Harvest Time and Brewing Conditions.

Matcha, or powdered green tea (Camellia sinensis) of the Tencha type, is popular all around the world, and its consumption continues to rise. Because of its unique cultivation method, it is rich in phytochemicals and has many health-promoting properties; it contains high concentrations of polyphenols, theanine and chlorophyll. Tea, and by extension matcha, contains numerous minerals, one of which is fluorine. Under physiological conditions, this mineral plays a significant role in hard tissue mineralisation processes. However, even in low concentrations, with prolonged exposure, fluoride can accumulate in the body, leading to a number of harmful effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the fluoride content of the matcha infusions from different harvests, brewed using water at different temperatures (25 °C, 70 °C, 80 °C and 90 °C). The content of fluoride ions was measured by the potentiometric method. The fluoride content ranged from 3.36 to 4.03 mg/L and was dependent on both the leaf harvest time and brewing temperature. The concentration of this mineral in the dry powder ranged from 118.39 to 121.65 mg/kg. Irrespective of the water temperature or harvest time, matcha was found to have a high fluoride content, with particularly high concentrations being noted in the powder itself.