INFLUENCE OF HOME PREPARATION METHODS OF BLACK TEA BEVERAGE ON THE MINERALS CONTENT

Abstract

tea as a non-alcoholic beverage, is the most popular beverage in Egypt. It contains several essential nutrients, which are beneficial for human health. This study aimed to determine chemical composition and mineral, (Zinc, Iron, Copper, Lead, Aluminum, manganese, and Cadmium, Sodium and Potassium) content before and after home preparation for three types of black tea (Indian, Malawian and Kenyan). Tea drinks were prepared using three traditional methods of different black tea as following (T1) black tea added to cold distilled water, then heated to boil for 2 minutes, (T2) black tea added to hot distilled water and then boiling continued for 2 minutes and (T3) black tea added to boiled distilled water and stand for infusion for 2 minutes. All prepared samples of tea drink were cooled at room temperature and consequently subjected to analysis. Among the metals analyzed, potassium was the most abundant, and ranging from 1492.14 to 1723.8 μg/g of different black tea types before preparing drinks of Indian and Kenyan sample, followed by Sodium with 99.3 μg/g in Malawian black tea. From the results, it was clear, that toxic heavy metals (Lead) had the lowest concentration in all samples with a concentration ranged from 1.34 to 2.11 μg/kg in Kenyan and Malawian black tea. Cadmium was not detected both in samples or treatments. The black tea samples were analyzed for Al and Zn concentration of dust tea and tea drinks. The results showed an average concentration of Al and Zn in dust tea, ranged from 1.57 to 17.18 and 7.5 to 15.2 μg/kg respectively. It could be concluded that mineral concentration in black tea drink show reduction in all samples, specially, heavy metal for (T1) and (T3).