Evaluation of Antioxidant Status in Cold Brewed Tea with Respect to Hot Decoction: Comparative Study Between Green and Black Varieties

Tea is known as nature low calorie wonder drink. Consumption of hot tea decoction became popular from the ancient times. Currently researchers observed that many secondary metabolites that are heat sensitive might get destroyed on heating. Moreover people, who are permanently live at higher altitude or the members of high altitude expedition team, are deprived of various tea brewing facilities like electricity, fuel etc and hence they have to depend on brewing tea at cold condition only for consumption. In this backdrop present study aims at analysis of antioxidants like polyphenols, flavonoids and free radical scavenging activity of cold brewed tea and compared with its hot decoction. The study highlighted that cold brewed green tea harbour more polyphenolics and flavonoids with respect to its hot decoction. However no significant change being observed between hot and cold decoction of black tea. It is also observed that mg Ascorbic Acid Equivalent per cup of cold and hot tea brew has no significant difference and hence both the brews can be consumed for replenishment of antioxidant requirements.