Tea Pigments Research Articles

Comprehensive analysis reveals the contribution of “rolling-anaerobic” processing to the improved aroma, taste and color of GABA black tea

GABA black tea (GABT), produced by the combination of anaerobic treatment and Chinese traditional black tea processing technology, has a unique flavor and health benefits. However, how to manufacture high-quality GABT efficiently is the major challenge for this area. In this study, a processing improvement of multiple rolling-anaerobic treatment cycle was applied to prepare tailored GABTs, and their comprehensive quality including aroma, taste and color were analyzed. The sensory evaluation results showed that the improvement significantly optimized the overall GABT quality. The accumulation of linalool oxide Ⅰ, citronellol, etc. was the main reason for the superior aroma of tailored GABT, while the dynamic changes of sweet/umami amino acids, catechins and tea pigments played critical roles in the GABT taste and color quality formation during processing. Furthermore, correlation analysis was applied to determine the contribution of various processing steps. These findings provide a novel manufacturing method for high-quality GABT products.

Revealing novel insights into the enhancement of quality in black tea processing through microbial intervention

Black tea is highly favored by consumers worldwide, with enzymatic reactions being recognized as a pivotal factor influencing tea quality. The role of microorganisms in shaping the composition of black tea has emerged as a focus of research due to their involvement in enzyme catalysis and metabolic processes. In this study, full-length amplicon sequencing combined with qPCR more accurately reflected microbial profile, and Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Paucibacter, and Cladosporium were identified as the main microbial genera. Moreover, by comprehensively analyzing color, aroma, and taste components over time in black tea samples, correlations were established between the dominant genus and various quality factors. Notably, peroxidase activity levels, total soluble sugar content, and tea pigments concentration exhibited significant associations with the dominant genus. Consequently, this microbiological perspective facilitated the exploration of driving factors for improving black tea quality while establishing a theoretical foundation for quality control in industrial production.

Influence and progress of tea pigment research: A comprehensive analysis of application of bibliometrics

Tea pigment, as a natural pigment component in tea, has attracted much attention because of its unique health benefits. In recent years, with the deepening of scientific research, the research on biological activity, extraction technology and application of tea pigment has made remarkable progress. Through systematic bibliometrics analysis, this paper comprehensively combs and evaluates the research status of tea pigment. The propose is to provide valuable reference for future research and application. In this paper, the chemical structure of tea pigment is firstly summarized, and then its diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor, are deeply discussed, especially its potential application in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. In addition, the application prospect of tea pigment in food coloring, textile dyeing and other industrial fields is also discussed in detail. Through the collection and arrangement of a large number of research literatures, this paper analyzes the development trend, research methods and main achievements of tea pigment research, and pays special attention to the dosage and effect of tea pigment in practical application. These analyses not only contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and functions of tea pigments, but also provide scientific basis for the further development and application of tea pigments.

Key Factors of Quality Formation in Wuyi Black Tea during Processing Timing.

As the most consumed tea in the world, all kinds of black tea are developed from Wuyi black tea. In this study, quality components, regulatory gene expression, and key enzyme activity during the processing were analyzed to illustrate the taste formation of WBT. Withering mainly affected the content of amino acids, while catechins and tea pigments were most influenced by rolling and the pre-metaphase of fermentation. Notably, regulatory gene expression was significantly down-regulated after withering except for polyphenoloxidase1, polyphenoloxidase2, leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase, chalcone isomerase, and flavonoid 3', 5'-hydroxylase. Co-expression of flavonoid pathway genes confirmed similar expression patterns of these genes in the same metabolic pathway. Interestingly, rolling and fermentation anaphase had a great effect on polyphenol oxidase, and fermentation pre-metaphase had the greatest effect on cellulase. Since gene regulation mainly occurs before picking, the influence of chemical reaction was greater during processing. It was speculated that polyphenol oxidase and cellulase, which promoted the transformation of quality components, were the key factors in the quality formation of WBT. The above results provide theoretical basis for the processing of WBT and the reference for producing high-quality black tea.

Studies on the effects of preheated β-lactoglobulin on the physicochemical properties of theaflavin-3,3′-digallate and the interaction mechanism

Teaflavin-3,3′-digallate (TFDG) is a sensory and health benefit substance in tea beverage, but is usually eliminated during processing due to the formation of tea cream by binding with proteins. In order to retain the TFDG, β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) was used to bind with TFDG and avoid the formation of tea cream. The results of physicochemical tests and entropy weight-TOPSIS showed that the best β-LG-TFDG dispersion (TFDG concentration: 0.468 g/L) had low particle size (37.29 nm), high electrical potential (−32.43 mv), high transmittance (88.52%), and strong antioxidant activity (84.82%), when the preheated temperature of β-LG was 85 °C and the molar ratio was 1:2. The multispectral experiment results showed that TFDG interacted with β-LG via static quenching, and preheated treatment of β-LG enhanced the interaction between β-LG and TFDG. CD spectroscopy suggested that TFDG induced slight changes in the secondary structure of β-LG. The results of molecular dynamics showed that preheated treatment leading in the changes in tertiary structure of β-LG, opening of key ring region of β-LG and exposing the active cavities of β-LG, which enhances the intermolecular forces between TFDG and β-LG. What's more, molecular docking was proved that preheated treatment of β-LG enhances the hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds, which dominated the interaction between TFDG and β-LG. The results proposed in this research could further reducing tea cream formation and improving the healthy and sensory performances of tea beverage by using preheated β-LG without preserving both the tea pigments and the active nutrients.

The Flavor Characteristics, Antioxidant Capability, and Storage Year Discrimination Based on Backpropagation Neural Network of Organic Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) during Long-Term Storage.

The storage period of tea is a major factor affecting tea quality. However, the effect of storage years on the non-volatile major functional components and quality of green tea remains largely unknown. In this study, a comparative analysis of organic green teas with varying storage years (1-16 years) was conducted by quantifying 47 functional components, using electronic tongue and chromatic aberration technology, alongside an evaluation of antioxidative capacity. The results indicated a significant negative correlation between the storage years and levels of tea polyphenols, total amino acids, soluble sugars, two phenolic acids, four flavonols, three tea pigments, umami amino acids, and sweet amino acids. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed that 10 functional components were identified as effective in distinguishing organic green teas with different storage years. Electronic tongue technology categorized organic green teas with different storage years into three classes. The backpropagation neural network (BPNN) analysis demonstrated that the classification predictive ability of the model based on the electronic tongue was superior to the one based on color difference values and 10 functional components. The combined analysis of antioxidative activity and functional components suggested that organic green teas with shorter storage periods exhibited stronger abilities to suppress superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals and reduce iron ions due to the higher content of eight components. Long-term-stored organic green teas, with a higher content of substances like L-serine and theabrownins, demonstrated stronger antioxidative capabilities in clearing both lipid-soluble and water-soluble free radicals. Therefore, this study provided a theoretical basis for the quality assessment of green tea and prediction of green tea storage periods.

Phytochemical composition of Tibetan tea fermented by Eurotium cristatum and its effects on type 1 diabetes mice and gut microbiota

“Golden-flower” Tibetan tea (GTT) is an innovative dark tea fermented via fungus Eurotium cristatum. To study GTT effects on alleviating the symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), GTT's extract (GTTE) was prepared. GTTE chemical compositions were analyzed via HPLC, pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass (Py-GC-MS) spectrometry analysis, and chemistry analyses. GTTE effects on T1DM were explored on T1DM mice model induced by streptozotocin (STZ). GTTE was composed mainly of tea pigment theabrownin (TB) (49.18%), with high percentages of polysaccharide (16.93%), protein (10.15%), polyphenols (13.90%), amino acids (5.89%), caffeine (1.83%), and flavonoids (0.67%). Py-GC-MS results exhibited that GTTE constituted of phenols, lipids, sugars, and proteins. GTTE attenuated T1DM conditions of mice, relieved their liver and pancreatic injury, restored damaged islet cells, decreased oxidative stress by increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels, modulated cytokine expression leading to the decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, increased anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 to improve inflammatory responses, and optimized gut microbiota composition and structure based on high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing, suggesting multi-channel anti-diabetes mechanisms.

The influence of rolling pressure on the changes in non-volatile compounds and sensory quality of congou black tea: The combination of metabolomics, E-tongue, and chromatic differences analyses

Rolling represents an essential stage in congou black tea processing. However, the influence of rolling pressure on tea flavor and non-volatile compounds remains unclear. Herein, a combination of untargeted metabolomics, tea pigments quantification, E-tongue, colorimeter and sensory evaluation was used to evaluate the effect of rolling pressure on black tea quality. As the rolling pressure increased, theaflavins (TFs), thearubigins (TRs), and theabrownins (TBs) significantly elevated. The tea metabolic profiles fluctuated and 47 metabolites were identified as key differential metabolites including flavan-3-ols, flavonol/flavone glycosides, phenolic acids, amino acids. These substances altered possibly due to the variations in enzymatic oxidation of tea phenolics and amino acids. Overall, black tea with moderate rolling pressure presented higher sweetness, lower bitterness, and higher quality index (10 TFs + TRs)/TBs. The results were verified by a validation batch. This study provided new insights into the regulation of rolling pressure and a guidance for black tea processing.

Oligomerization Mechanisms of Tea Catechins Involved in the Production of Black Tea Thearubigins.

Thearubigins (TRs) are chemically ill-defined black tea pigments composed of numerous catechin oxidation products. TRs contain oligomeric components; however, the oligomerization mechanisms are poorly understood. The comparison of the 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of TRs with different molecular sizes suggested the participation of A-ring methine carbons in the oligomerization. Crushing fresh tea leaves with phloroglucinol, a mimic of the catechin A-rings, yielded the phloroglucinol adducts of the B-ring quinones of pyrogallol-type catechins and dehydrotheasinensins, indicating that intermolecular oxidative couplings between pyrogallol-type B-rings and A-rings are involved in the oligomerization. This is supported by the comparison of the 13C NMR spectra of the oligomers generated from the dehydrotheasinensins and epicatechin. Furthermore, the presence of the quinones or related structures in the catechin oligomers is shown by condensation with 1,2-phenylenediamine. The pyrogallol-type catechins account for approximately 70% of tea catechins; therefore, the B-A ring couplings of the pyrogallol-type catechins are important in the catechin oligomerization involved in TR production.

A systematic review of tea pigments: Prevention of major diseases, protection of organs, and potential mechanisms and applications.

With the growing awareness of a healthy life, tea pigments (TPGs) are in focus for their health benefits. TPGs not only provide specific color to tea liquor but also possess health benefits such as anti-obesity, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-oxidative, and bacteriostatic properties. Also, TPGs can benefit bone, liver, kidney, cardiovascular, gut microbiome, and sleep health. Based on previous reports, this review provides a brief introduction to the health benefits of TPGs, focusing on the prevention of human diseases and the protection of organs. Also, the latest research on the functional mechanism(s), practical application, and development strategies of TPGs is discussed.

Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal comparisons against liquid-state fermentation of primary dark tea, green tea and white tea by Aspergillus cristatus

Liquid-state fermentation (LSF) of tea leaves is a promising way to obtain tea-based nutraceutical products rich in various bioactive compounds. In the study, the changes of bioactive compounds, tea pigments and complex metabolites from LSF of primary dark tea, green tea and white tea infusions with Aspergillus cristatus were determined. Chemical analyses revealed that soluble sugars, monosaccharide composition, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, free amino acids, soluble proteins and tea pigments were changed in different ways. An untargeted metabolomic analysis and ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) based transcriptomic analysis were performed to investigate the metabolic differentiation and clarify the key differentially expressed genes (DEGs, fold change >2 and p < 0.05), showing that amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism were the most enriched pathways during A. cristatus fermentation of primary dark tea, green tea and white tea infusions. In addition, glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism were greatly accumulated in the fermentation of primary dark tea and white tea infusions; Pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, fatty acid degradation, tyrosine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis and valine and leucine, isoleucine degradation were greatly accumulated in the fermentation of primary dark tea and green tea infusions; Starch and sucrose metabolism was greatly accumulated in the fermentation of green tea and white tea infusions; Galactose metabolism was significantly enhanced in the fermentation of primary dark tea infusion; Amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism were significantly enhanced in the fermentation of green tea infusion. Besides, some other pathways involving aminobenzoate degradation, biosynthesis of cofactors, pyrimidine metabolism, benzoxazinoid biosynthesis and phenazine biosynthesis, tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis and flavone and flavonol biosynthesis also differed from each other. These findings support that A. cristatus plays a vital role in the biochemical and genetic regulation of metabolite profile, and could be considered a potential prospect for better use of A. cristatus on different kinds of tea materials.

Study on the Trend in Microbial Changes during the Fermentation of Black Tea and Its Effect on the Quality.

The role of tea endophytes in black tea fermentation and their impact on black tea quality remain unclear. We collected fresh leaves of Bixiangzao and Mingfeng tea and processed them into black tea, while testing the biochemical composition of both the fresh leaves and the black tea. We also used high-throughput techniques, such as 16S rRNA, to analyze the dynamic changes in the microbial community structure and function during black tea processing in order to investigate the influence of dominant microorganisms on the quality of black tea formation. Our results showed that bacteria, such as Chryseobacterium and Sphingomonas, and Pleosporales fungi dominated the entire black tea fermentation process. Predicted functional analysis of the bacterial community indicated that glycolysis-related enzymes, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and tricarboxylic acid cycle-related enzymes were significantly elevated during the fermentation stage. Amino acids, soluble sugars, and tea pigment content also increased considerably during fermentation. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that the relative bacterial abundance was closely related to the content of tea polyphenols and catechins. This study provides new insights into the changes in microbial communities during the fermentation of black tea and demonstrates understanding of the basic functional microorganisms involved in black tea processing.

Study on the Interaction Mechanism of Theaflavin with Whey Protein: Multi-Spectroscopy Analysis and Molecular Docking.

The interaction mechanism of whey proteins with theaflavin (TF1) in black tea was analyzed using multi-spectroscopy analysis and molecular docking simulations. The influence of TF1 on the structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA), β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg), and α-lactoalbumin (α-La) was examined in this work using the interaction of TF1 with these proteins. Fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy revealed that TF1 could interact with BSA, β-Lg and α-La through a static quenching mechanism. Furthermore, circular dichroism (CD) experiments revealed that TF1 altered the secondary structure of BSA, β-Lg and α-La. Molecular docking demonstrated that the interaction of TF1 with BSA/β-Lg/α-La was dominated by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction. The binding energies were -10.1 kcal mol-1, -8.4 kcal mol-1 and -10.4 kcal mol-1, respectively. The results provide a theoretical basis for investigating the mechanism of interaction between tea pigments and protein. Moreover, the findings offered technical support for the future development of functional foods that combine tea active ingredients with milk protein. Future research will focus on the effects of food processing methods and different food systems on the interaction between TF1 and whey protein, as well as the physicochemical stability, functional characteristics, and bioavailability of the complexes in vitro or in vivo.

Theabrownin Isolated from Pu-Erh Tea Enhances the Innate Immune and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of RAW264.7 Macrophages via the TLR2/4-Mediated Signaling Pathway

Theabrownin (TB) is a tea pigment extracted from Pu-erh Tea. The effects of TB on innate immunity and inflammation are not well understood. Herein, the effects of TB on innate immunity are investigated using RAW264.7 macrophages. We found that TB promoted the proliferation of RAW264.7 macrophages, altered their morphology, enhanced their pinocytic and phagocytic ability, and significantly increased their secretion of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines, all of which enhanced the immune response. Additionally, TB inhibited the release of inflammatory signals in RAW264.7 macrophages primed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), implying that TB modulates the excessive inflammation induced by bacterial infection. A Western blot showed that TB could activate the toll-like receptor (TLR)2/4-mediated myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-dependent mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway and the TLR2-mediated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling pathway, enhancing the immune functions of RAW264.7 macrophages. TB also inhibited the phosphorylation of core proteins in the MAPK/NF-κB/PI3K-AKT signaling pathway induced by LPS. In addition, we analyzed the transcriptomes of RAW264.7 macrophages, and a Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that TB modulated thetoll-like receptor signal pathway. A gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that TB treatment strongly modulated the immune response and inflammation. As a result, TB-enhanced innate immunity and modulated inflammation via the TLR2/4 signaling pathway.

Investigation and dynamic changes of phenolic compounds during a new-type fermentation for ripened Pu-erh tea processing

At present, several novel pile-fermentation styles have been developed for ripened Pu-erh tea (RPT) processing. In this study, tea pigments, phenolic compounds, purine alkaloids and amino acids in six RPTs produced through three various fermentation styles were determined by using HPLC and amino acid analyzer to reveal chemical differences caused by fermentation style, respectively. Additionally, dynamic changes of phenolic compounds and purine alkaloids were explored during a whole new-type fermentation. Despite three various fermentation styles, these RPTs demonstrated consistent sensory and major quality components including three tea pigments, two flavonoids and three purine alkaloids. However, RPTs of the new-type fermentation had relatively higher contents of seven catechins, gallic acid, two flavonols (i.e. quercetin and kaempferol), two other flavonoids (i.e. rutin and luteolin) and 10 amino acids such as l-theanine and l-arginine. The new-type fermentation decelerated the degradation of four galloylated catechins, rutin, amino acids and soluble sugars, but contributed to the accumulations of three non-galloylated catechins, two flavonols, luteolin and gallic acid. Therefore, the new-type fermentation could be a potential style for RPT processing with a shorter fermentation cycle.

Effects of Eurotium cristatum on chemical constituents and α-glucosidase activity of mulberry leaf tea

To expand the range of mulberry leaf tea products, the present study used ‘Shaansang 707’, ‘Yuesang 10’ and ‘Husang 32’ as raw materials to prepare mulberry leaf Fu loose tea by solid-state fermentation, with artificial inoculation of Eurotium cristatum. The nutrients and active components of mulberry leaf tea before and after fermentation were determined. Compared with mulberry leaf raw dark green tea, the contents of tea pigments in Fu tea, especially theabrownin were greatly increased by more than 11%, while those of polyphenols, flavonoids and polysaccharides were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). In addition, mulberry leaf Fu tea exhibited better α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than mulberry leaf raw dark green tea. Multivariate analysis suggested that the enhancement of α-glucosidase inhibitory ability was most likely related to theabrownin. The results of this study will provide a theoretical basis for the industrial production of mulberry leaf Fu tea.

Regulatory Effects and Molecular Mechanisms of Tea and Its Active Compounds on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic liver disease, is a multifactorial disease resulting from the interaction between environment, genetic background, and metabolic stress. Most treatments for NAFLD include dietary intervention and exercise show limited efficacy due to the complex mechanisms involved in NAFLD. Meanwhile, drug therapy is accompanied by serious side effects. The development of high-efficiency natural supplements is a sustainable strategy for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. As the second most consumed beverage, tea has health benefits that have been widely recognized. Nevertheless, the intervention of tea active compounds in NAFLD has received limited attention. Tea contains abundant bioactive compounds with potential effects on NAFLD, such as catechins, flavonoids, theanine, tea pigments, and tea polysaccharides. We reviewed the intrinsic and environmental factors and pathogenic mechanisms that affect the occurrence and development of NAFLD, and summarized the influences of exercise, drugs, diet, and tea drinking on NAFLD. On this basis, we further analyzed the potential effects and molecular regulatory mechanisms of tea active compounds on NAFLD and proposed future development directions. This review hopes to provide novel insights into the development and application of tea active compounds in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

An Improved Method of Theabrownins Extraction and Detection in Six Major Types of Tea (Camellia sinensis)

Tea pigments consisting of theabrownins (TBs), theaflavins (TFs), and thearubigins (TRs) affect the color and taste of tea. TBs include a variety of water-soluble compounds, but do not dissolve in n-butanol and ethyl acetate. Previously, the traditional method of TB extraction only mixed tea with n-butanol, and TBs were retained in the water phase. However, without ethyl acetate extraction, TFs and TRs remained in the water phase and affected the detection of TB content. Although an improved method had been devised by adding an ethyl acetate extraction step between tea production and n-butanol extraction, the proportional equation for calculating TB content (%) was not yet developed. In this study, we compared the absorbance at 380 nm (A380) of TB solutions from six major types of tea (green, yellow, oolong, white, black, and dark teas) extracted by improved and traditional methods from the same tea samples. Significantly lower A380 values were obtained from TB solutions via the improved method compared to the traditional method for six major types of tea, and the highest and lowest slops in TB concentrations from A380 analyses were from dark tea and green tea, respectively. Moreover, newly developed equations for TB content in those six tea types extracted by the improved methods were also established.

Non-targeted metabolomics and electronic tongue analysis reveal the effect of rolling time on the sensory quality and nonvolatile metabolites of congou black tea

Rolling is a crucial step in congou black tea manufacturing. Herein, the influence of rolling time (50, 75, 100, 125 min) on the sensory quality and chemical composition of black tea was investigated by human sensory evaluation, electronic tongue, colorimetric analysis, tea pigments quantification and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based non-targeted metabolomics. With increasing rolling time, tea liquor color attributes a*, b*, C* and pigments theaflavins (TFs), thearubigins (TRs), and theabrownins (TBs) were significantly increased. Fifty-two key differential metabolites were identified among four treatments. Catechins, dimeric/trimeric catechins, amino acids were significantly declined. The changes of flavonol/flavone glycosides depended on the linkage pattern. Flavonol O-glycosides such as myricetin 3-O-glucoside were decreased, whereas flavone C-glycosides such as vitexin were increased. These results suggested that different rolling times influenced the catechins oxidative polymerization, flavonol O-glycosides hydrolysis and amino acids oxidation. Black tea by 100-min rolling rendered optimal sensory quality, with highest umami and low bitter intensities in electronic tongue, and higher quality index (10 TFs + TRs)/TBs. Similar result was obtained in a validation batch in a different year. This study provides novel insights into the effect of rolling on black tea quality, which may serve as guidance for the manufacturing of high-quality congou black tea.

Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of water extract from black cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla)

Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) is a non-conventional tea variety with low caffeine and high gallocatechin gallate (GCG). The anti-inflammatory activity of black cocoa tea and its underlying mechanisms remain virtually unknown. In this study, the chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of water extracts from black cocoa tea (BCWE) and Yunnan Daye tea (BYWE) were compared. Results showed that the dominant alkaloid in BCWE and BYWE were theobromine and caffeine, respectively. The contents of gallic acid, total catechins, and total polyphenols in BCWE were significantly higher than those in BYWE. For tea pigments, BYWE contained a little more total theaflavins and theabrownins than BCWE, while no significant difference was observed in thearubigins. Interestingly, a novel theaflavin synthesized from GCG and catechin was found in BCWE. In lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells, both BCWE and BYWE could inhibit the production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 by down-regulating the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. They also markedly reduced the release of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 at a high dose. Additionally, BCWE exhibited stronger anti-inflammatory activity than BYWE. Finally, BCWE exerted anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B, and nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways. These findings suggest that black cocoa tea can be developed into a promising functional beverage with anti-inflammatory property.