Acknowledgement

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to

“Mrs.Pramilla” ,for providing me an
opportunity to do my project work on “Acidity
in Tea leaves”.This project bears on imprint of
many peoples. I sincerely thank to my project
guide for guidance and encouragement in
carrying out this project work. I also wish to
express my gratitude to the officials and other
staff members of “R.M.S PUBLIC SCHOOL”
who rendered their help during the period of my
project work. Last but not least I wish to avail
myself of this opportunity, express a sense of
gratitude and love to my friends and my beloved
parents for their manual support, strength, help
and for everything.
Padam
Certificate
This is to certify that this project has been made
by Padam of class XI on the topic “Acidity in
Tea leaves” under my guidence and have been
completed it successfully.

Mrs.Pramilla

Contents
o Tea
o The health benefits of tea
 Research into health benefits of tea
 Tea & Caffine
o Harmful effects of tea
 Harmful effects of caffine
 Harmful effects of drinking excessive
tea
o Contents of tea
o Experiment to compare the water soluble
polyphenol content in the various sample of
tea leaves

Tea
Botanical name: Camellia sinensis
Common name: Green tea
Parts used: Young leaves and leaf buds
System effected: Liver, heart
Properties: Stimulant, diuretic. Astringent

Tea is made from young leaves and buds of tea plant. Tea leaves are rich
in caffiene (an alkaloid). Besides
caffiene, tea leaves contain tannic acid and coloring matter, such as
polyphenolic compounds. The relativeamounts of these substances are
different in different varieties of tea leaves, i.e. why, their taste
andflavour are different.

The brownish colour of tea is due to the peresence of polyphenolic

compoundes and some inorganic ions
like Mn2+, Fe3+ etc. Some simple experimemts can be carried out to
study the compomnrntds that are resoponsibe for the variation in tea

flavour in various brands of tea.

The Health Benefits of Tea

The main advantage of tea lies in the fact that it is a completely natural
product, without any added
flavorings, colors or preservatives. Likewise, when drunk without
adding any sugar, honey or milk, tea
has no calories and simultaneously serves as a crucial component for
maintaining the balance of body
liquids.
Research into the Health Benefits of Tea
• Tea leaves contain a high amount of polyphenols, which are a type of
antioxidant, and that regular
consumption of about five cups of tea per day contributes to keeping a
high level of them in the
bloodstream.
• The antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals. The free radicals are
oxidizing molecules which
naturally and harmlessly exist within the human body. However, they
accumulate as a result of
physiological processes such as metabolism, and are furthermore found
in environmental factors
such as polluted air, poisonous waste and cigarette smoke.
• Tea prevents the rise of homocysteine which is known to be an
important and significant risk factor
for cardiovascular diseases, due to the content of vitamin M in tea. The
vitamin M, which is a B
complex vitamin, assists in preventing cancer and it also plays an
important part in the health of the
nervous system, the eyes and other systems.
• Tea leaves contain fluoride which helps strengthen bones and teeth and
fights cavities.
• Tea believed to boost the body’s defenses
• A green tea component helps kill leukemia cells
• Drinking tea might delay Alzheimer's Disease
• Tea may play a role as an AIDS fighter

Tea and Caffeine

Caffeine is a natural substance found in numerous plants. Its
consumption helps with metabolism, weight
loss and vitality. The average amount of caffeine from brewed tea leaves
depends on the type of tea (black
tea contains more caffeine than green tea), the brewing duration, and the
water temperature (the higher the temperature- the greater the amount of
caffeine drained from the leaves). A healthy individual can consume up
to about 350 mg of caffeine per day without any concern.
Caffeine content per serving (milligrams)
Brewed Tea - 8 oz. Serving
Black tea - 40
Green tea - 40
Iced tea, ready to drink- 30
Iced tea mix, unsweetened - 13
Bottled Tea - 8 oz. Serving
Nestea Lemon Sweet- 11
Lipton Brisk, All Varieties - 6

Harmful Effects of Tea

Harmful effects of Caffeine
When taken before bedtime, caffeine can interfere with getting to sleep
or staying asleep.
Exactly how caffeine will affect an individual? And for how long,
depends on many factors,
• The amount of caffeine ingested
• Whether one is male or female
• One's height and weight
• One's age
• Whether one is pregnant
• Whether one smokes
Caffeine is converted by the liver into substances that are excreted in the
urine.
Some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others.
With frequent use, tolerance towards many of the effects of caffeine will
develop.
At doses of 600 milligrams (about six cups of coffee) or more daily,
caffeine can cause nervousness, sweating, tenseness, upset stomach,
anxiety , and insomnia. It can also prevent clear thinking and increase
the side effects of certain medications. This level of caffeine intake
represents a significant health risk.
Caffeine can be mildly addictive. Even when moderate amounts of
caffeine are withdrawn for 18 to 24 hours, one may feel symptoms such
as headache, fatigue, irritability, depression, and poor concentration.
The symptoms peak within 24 to 48 hours and progressively decrease
over the course of a week. To minimize withdrawal symptoms, experts
recommend reducing caffeine intake gradually.

Harmful Effects of Drinking Excessive Tea

People drink tea to relax. A sizzling cup is refreshing. Yet,excessive tea
is not advisable. It is harmful to health. It slowly affects the body
systems. The habit of drinking too much tea should be avoided.
Tea is prepared from leaves of shrub belonging to camellia family.
The plant is a native of south East Asia. The earliest record of its
cultivation comes from China in 4th century AD.
The chemical composition of tea leaves are as follows:
Moisture: 5 – 8%
Aromatic oils- 0.5%

Contents of Tea
1. Tannic Acid
2. Polyphenol
3. Caffiene
1. Tannic acid
Synonyms: Gallotannic acid, Gallotannin, Galloylglucose, Glycerite,
Quebracho, Tannins
Molecular formula : C76H52O46
Molecular Weight : 1701.22
Melting Point : 218 °C
Flash point : 198 °C
Water Solubility : 250 g/L (20)
Properties:
Tannic acid has anti-bacterial, anti
properties. Tannic acid has constringing action upon mucous tissues
such as tongue and inside of mouth. The ingestion of tannic acid caused
constipation and can be used to treat diarrhoea (in the absence of fever
or inflammation). The anti oxidant and anti-mutagenic properties of
tannic acid are beneficial. Externally, tannic acid is used to treat
ulcers,toothache and wounds.

Experiment 1
Aim: Compare the water soluble polyphenol (catechin) content in the various
samples of tea leaves.

Materials Required: Bunsen burner, tripod stand, wire gauge, beaker, funnel, filter
paper,chemical balance.

Theory: Tea contains upto 30% of the water soluble polyphenols (catechin). These are
largely responsible for the flavour if the tea. To estimate the extent of
these compounds in a given sample, the tea leaves are immersed in hot
water for equal time and the loss in the weight of tea leaves is determined.

Things Required: 5gm of 3 different tea leaves.

Chemicals Used: Distilled water.

Procedure:
1. Weigh exactly 5gm of 1st sample of tea leaves.
2. Take 100ml of distilled water in a beaker.
3. Put tea leaves in above beaker and boil it for 10 minutes.
4. Filter above boiled solution using funnel and filter paper in another beaker. Store the
residue aside and them dry.
5. Weigh the dried residue.
6. Repeat the above 1-5 steps for the other two samples.

Observations:

S.No. Brand Name of Tea Initial Weight Final Weight Loss of Weight % of water
soluble
1. Red Label 5 gms 4gms 1gms 80%
2. Honey Gold Tea 5gms 4gms 1gms 80%
3. Taza Tea 5gms 3gms 2gms 60%

Result: The tea having better flavour has more polyphenol content.

Bibliography
1. http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/
2. http://www.icbse.com
Some good books on tea:
Tea: bioactivity and therapeutic potential
“By Yong-su Zhen”
Healing teas: how to prepare and use teas to maximize your health
“By Marie Nadine Antol”
The book of tea :
“By Kakuzō Okakura”
Submitted to: Mrs. Pramilla
Submitted by: Padam Sagar