Comparative Studies on the Proximate and Mineral Composition Of Green tea and Black tea from Nigeria

Abstract

Green and Black tea are consumed by different shades of people in Nigeria to strengthen their immunity. This work was aimed at the analysis of the proximate and mineral compositions of Green and Black tea to determine the one that offers more nutrient values. Samples of the brands were collected from grocery shops. Analysis of the proximate composition of the tea samples was done following the standard procedures of Association of Official Analytical Chemists, while the mineral composition was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer . All the chemicals used in this work were of analytical grades. Screening for proximate and mineral composition of the processed tea samples indicated the presence of the following minerals in mg/g -Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Iron, Sodium, Magnesium. Calcium and Lead were not detected in the two tea samples, while Zinc was not in Black tea, and Potassium in Green tea. Iron, Zinc, Sodium and Manganese had the highest value in Green tea than in Black, whereas Potasium and Cupper had the highest value in Black tea than in Green tea. For the proximate in % -Moisture , Ash, Protein, Crude Fats, Fiber, Carbohydrate were present. Moisture, Fibre, Ash and Fats and oil had the highest value in Green tea than in Black tea, whereas Protein and Carbohydrate had the highest values in Black tea than in Green tea. The results, generally, offer greater opportunity for consumers to choose which tea type could be more beneficial for improving immunity.