This article provides summary data regarding tea production in Assam, India. Questionnaires were completed by tea producers and focus group discussions undertaken with tea workers. These data are presented for the four main tea growing regions of the state (Cachar, North Bank, South Bank and Upper Assam). Tables detail tea production characteristics of the tea plantations for both large- (> 10 ...

For serving green tea, there are two prominent methods: steeping the leaf or the powdered leaf (matcha style) in hot water. The purpose of the present study was to reveal chemical and functional differences before and after the powdering process of green tea leaf, since powdered green tea may contribute to expanding the functionality because of the different ingesting style. In this study, we r...

Dietary polyphenols are suggested to elevate plasma total homocysteine concentration (tHcy). Although tea is rich in polyphenols, it has been associated with lower tHcy, which may be due to its folate content. Our aims were to investigate relationships of tea intake and 4-O-methylgallic acid (4OMGA)--a biomarker of exposure to tea-derived polyphenols--with tHcy in older women. In a cross-sectio...

Biochemical modulation has played an important role in the development of cancer chemotherapy. We have directed our attention to the intake of common beverages and investigated the effects of green tea and tea components on the antitumor activity of doxorubicin. We carried out the combined treatment of toxorubicin and green tea on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma tumor-bearing mice. The oral administr...

Africa is one of the key centers of global tea production. Understanding the genetic diversity and relationships of cultivars of African tea is important for future targeted breeding efforts for new crop cultivars, specialty tea processing, and to guide germplasm conservation efforts. Despite the economic importance of tea in Africa, no research work has been done so far on its genetic diversit...

A number of species belonging to the genus Aspergillus were evaluated for their toxicity to ducklings and the ability to produce sterigmatocystin. Three new species capable of producing sterigmatocystin were found, namely, Aspergillus aurantio-brunneus, Aspergillus quadrilineatus, and Aspergillus ustus. All three were toxic to ducklings. The production of sterigmatocystin by Aspergillus rugulos...

BACKGROUND Skin toxicity is a common side effect of radiotherapy for solid tumors. Its management can cause treatment gaps and thus can impair cancer treatment. At present, in many countries no standard recommendation for treatment of skin during radiotherapy exists. In this study, we explored the effect of topically-applied tea extracts on the duration of radiation-induced skin toxicity. We in...

Background/Aims Nausea, an unpleasant symptom of diabetic gastroparesis (DMGP), has been reported to be alleviated by needleless transcutaneous electrical acupuncture (TEA). Our study was designed to utilize electroencephalography (EEG) and electrogastrography (EGG) recordings to investigate the central and peripheral responses of TEA in the treatment of nausea in DMGP patients. Methods Eleve...

BACKGROUND A major portion of the catechins in green tea is not absorbed in the small intestine. Bacteria in the colon convert nonabsorbed catechins into simpler phenolic compounds, which may also be absorbed. During the production of black tea, most catechins are polymerized to complex molecules called thearubigins. Little is known about the microbial degradation of these complex polyphenols, ...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Communities in Chilumba, Malawi use herbal tea prepared from Fadogia ancylantha Schweinf (Rubiaceae) leaves for the management of diabetes, hypertension and alleviation of symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders and pneumonia. The objective of the study was to evaluate the in vitro antidiabetic, anti-oxidant and antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts of the...