Tea Flowers and Their Health Benefits

Abstract

Camellia sinensis is the plant whose buds and leaves are raw materials of a traditional and widely consumed beverage – tea. Tea flowers are the reproductive structure of Camellia sinensis, with a mild sweet smell. Catechins, polysaccharides, saponins, aroma compounds, free amino acids, proteins, alkaloids, spermidine derivatives, flavonols, anthocyanins, vitamins, minerals, and some other chemicals are found in tea flowers. Tea flowers and tea leaves have similarities in compositions but differ in the percentages of different compounds. Water and ethanol are commonly used in the extraction of polyphenols from tea flowers. The particle size of tea flowers, extraction solvents, and extraction methods affect the yield rate of tea flower flavonols. Tea flowers contain multiple components. Some of them also exist in tea leaves and are major contributors to the bioactivities of tea leaves. Therefore, it’s no wonder that part of the health benefits of tea flowers are similar to that of tea leaves.