NOTE: Students are required to fill in the

followings clearly before submission.

Lecturer’s Name:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Ho Chun Wai
…………………………………………..……………………
Course Code & Name:
FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
MW203 NUTRITION & FUNCTIONAL FOOD

ASSIGNMENT(S) SUBMISSION FORM

Assignment Title : Organic Green Tea Beverage

Submission Date : 15/6/2020

STUDENTS’ DECLARATION OF WORK

I/We declare that the work submitted is my/our own. I/we confirm that I/we have
read and understood the University regulations with regard to Plagiarism, Collusion
and Cheating in this work will be penalized.

No. Student ID Student’s Name Signature

1 1001747455 Kon Zhen Jie
LECTURER’S ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Description Weightage (%) Mark Gained Marks Gained:
(%)
Introduction 2.5
Discussion 5
Sources 5
Comments 5 20%
Conclusion 2.5
TOTAL 20

Lecturer’s Remarks/Comments (if applicable):

Introduction

Generally , the term "functional foods" is understood as foods containing substances other
than nutrients that may have beneficial health effects beyond their nutritional properties.
The idea of functional food is not new as it is recognized that traditional ethnic group diets
understand and highly consider the nutritional and medicinal qualities of some local foods
that are part of the daily diet. However, recent research and technologies have gone beyond
these assumptions and have identified biologically and chemically active components
associated with food functional properties. Correct use of "real foods" will improve variety
and contribute to a healthy diet as well as potentially provide health benefits.

Tea is a product made from Camellia sinensis leaf and bud, the world's second most
consumed drink, well ahead of coffee, beer, wine and carbonated soft drinks (Costa, 2002).
Tea originated in China and has gained the taste of the world over the last 2000 years. The
economic and social interest of tea is clear and its consumption is part of many people daily
routine, as an everyday drink and as a therapeutic aid in many illnesses. Based on the
manufacturing process, teas are categorized into three main types, 'non-fermented' green
tea, produced by drying and steaming the fresh leaves to inactivate polyphenol oxidase and
thus non-oxidation; 'semi-fermented' oolong tea, produced when the fresh leaves are
subjected to partial fermentation until drying; and ‘fermented’ black and red (Pu-Erh) teas
which undergo a post-harvest fermentation stage before drying and steaming.

The practical food I wish to eat in the future is a brand called 'KMT Organic Green Tea'
(Figure 1.0). It is a green tea beverage that contains many bioactive compounds that can
help boost the state of our human health. It is 100 percent Korean organic green tea made
from Korea's first flush young leaf consisting of elegant taste and flavor. It is packed as a
small tea bag and easy to consume by adding hot water and brewing before consuming it
for a minute. This brand of green tea beverage is certified organic, meaning that green tea
has met all consumer health and environmental friendliness requirements. In organic tea
production, synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are not used which depend
instead on natural processes.

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 Figure 1.0 ‘KMT Organic green tea’

Green tea processing

Green tea comes predominantly from Camellia sinensis var.sinensis. The Assan variety
(Camellia sinensis var. assamica) has an unusually high polyphenol content, which will make
the taste of green tea too bitter. Green tea production is characterized by an initial heating
process that kills the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, which is responsible for converting the
flavanols in the leaf into the dark polyphenolic compounds that colour black tea. The other
significant process is rolling, where the leaves are cut and twisted. The final type of green
tea depends on the specific variant made. The rolling phase in black tea production is very
similar to the operation with the same name. The cultivation of green tea is largely confined
to China and Japan.

Green tea bioactive compounds

The chemical constituents of tea and its pharmacological properties are covered by many
excellent references (McKenna, 2002). Scientists have identified many of the natural
substances in green tea that are capable of delivering most health benefits. The main
polyphenol present in green tea belonging to the catechin family is(-)-epigallocatechin
gallate (EGCg), with smaller quantities of catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), gallocatechin (GC),
gallocatechin (GCG), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epicatechin gallate (ECG). Additionally,
there are caffeine, theanine, theaflavins, theobromine, theophylline and phenolic acids such
as gallic acid are present in smaller quantities (Manning, 2003).

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Green tea & Human health

Since ancient times green tea has been considered a medicine and a balanced beverage.
Traditional Chinese medicine has prescribed this plant as an energizer and, in general, to
extend life for headaches, body aches and pains, digestion, depression, detoxification.
Green tea leaves contain three main components that affect human health: xanthical bases
(caffeine and theophylline), essential oils, and polyphenolic compounds in particular.
Caffeine mainly acts on the central nervous system, stimulating wakefulness, facilitating
association of ideas and diminishing fatigue sensation (Varnam, 1994). Some of caffeine-
induced effects are influenced by the content of theophylline tea. Theophylline induces
psychoactive activity, it also has a slightly inotropic and vasodilatory effect, and a diuretic
effect much greater than caffeine. Its most important effects can however be seen at the
bronchopulmonary and respiratory rates. Theophylline causes the bronchial smooth muscle
to relax in a non-specific way and respiratory stimulation is also observed. Essential oils are
largely volatile and evaporate from the beverage after some time, so over-extending the
brewing time isn't very convenient (Wu, 2002). Green tea is the tea type with a higher
proportion of essential oils (Varnam, 1994). However, green tea has received a great deal of
attention especially due to its content of polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants and
present important biological properties.

Numerous studies have also shown that antimutagenic, antidiabetic, antibacterial , anti-
inflammatory and hypocholesterolemic properties of the GTP aqueous extract (Xie, 1998)
Also described were beneficial effects in oral diseases such as protection against dental
caries, periodontal disease and tooth loss, which could have a significant impact on the
overall health of a person (Wu, 2002). Catechins and gallic acid have been especially
regarded as the key players in the beneficial impact on human health of all GTPs. Green tea
is considered an antioxidant nutrient source in the diet. Although green tea is rich in
polyphenols (particularly catechins and gallic acid), it also contains carotenoids, tocopherols,
ascorbic acid ( vitamin C), minerals such as Cr, Mn, Se or Zn, and other certain
phytochemical compounds. These compounds could raise the potential for antioxidant GTP.
GTP exhibits in vitro antioxidant activity by scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species
and by chelating redoxactive transition metal ions; GTP can chelate metal ions such as iron
and copper to prevent their involvement in Fenton and Haber-Weiss reactions (McKay

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2002). They can also serve indirectly as antioxidants by inhibiting the redoxsensitive
transcription factors; inhibiting 'pro-oxidant' enzymes such as inducible nitric oxide
synthase, lipoxygenases, cyclooxygenases and xanthine oxidase; and inducing antioxidant
enzymes such as glutathione-S-transferases and superoxide dismutases. The antioxidant
capacity of GTP has been assessed by several methods. For example, Cao et al. using the
oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay found that green tea has a much higher
antioxidant activity against peroxyl radicals than vegetables such as garlic, kale, spinach and
Brussels sprouts. Using the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay (Cao, 1996).
Langley-Evans found that the total antioxidant capacity of green tea is more potent than
that of black tea (Langley, 2000). Saffari and Sadrzadeh investigated the antioxidant capacity
of EGCG using erythrocyte membrane bound (Saffari, 2004). ATPases as a model, and the
results indicated that EGCG is a powerful antioxidant that is capable of protecting
erythrocyte membrane bound ATPases against oxidative stress.

Compound Green Tea

Catechins 60 – 125 mg
Theaflavins -
Caffeine 20 – 50 mg
L-Theanine 20 – 40 mg
Table 1.0 Typical levels of constituents found in green tea

Regulations on functional health claims in South Korea

South Korea’s enhanced function health claims are compatible with those by the Codex
Alimentarius. Generic functional foods and ingredients approved by HFFA, such as dietary
fibre, green tea extract, fructooligosaccharides, EPA/DHA and others are eligible for health
claims (Shown in Table 1.1). It is shown that green tea provides health claim in linolenic
acid-containing product. Linolenic-acid has been proved to be a treatment for human health
by weight control.

Nutritional supplement Grape seed oil

Ginseng Fermented vegetable-extract
Red ginseng Mucopolysaccharide
Eel oil Chlorophyll-containing product
EPA/DHA-containing product Mushroom
Royal jelly Aloe
Yeast Japanese apricot extract
Pollen Soft-shelled turtle

4
 Squalene-containing product Beta-carotene
Yeast-containing product Chitosan-containing product
Probiotics-containing products Chitooligosaccharide-containing product
Chlorella Glucosamine-containing product
Spirulina Propolis extract
Gamma-linolenic acid-containing product Green tea extract
Embryo bud oil Soy protein-containing product
Embryo bud Phytosterol-containing product
Lecithin Fructooligosaccharide-containing product
Octacosanol-containing product Red yeast rice product
Alcoxy-glycerol-containing product

Table 1.1 Generic health/functional foods and ingredients eligible for health claims in South
Korea (Kim, 2006)

Conclusion

Since ancient times green tea has been consumed in China and other Asian countries to
maintain and improve health. Green tea is now considered one of the most effective dietary
agents for the prevention and treatment of many diseases and is therefore being widely
studied around the world. Numerous studies in a number of experimental animal models
have shown that Mayor GTP's aqueous extract engineered as catechins (EGCG, EGC, ECG,
and EC) has antioxidant, antimutagenic, antidiabetic , anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and
antiviral properties and, above all, cancer-preventative. Epidemiological studies indicate
green tea intake can have a protective effect against multiple cancers. Since green tea has
increasingly been shown to have beneficial health effects, it might be advisable to promote
the daily consumption of this widely available, tasty and inexpensive drink as an interesting
alternative to other beverages, which not only prove to be beneficial effects of green tea,
but are also more energetic.

References

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Agric Food Chem 44:3426–3431.
2. Costa LM, Gouveia ST, Nobrega JA, 2002. Comparison of heating extraction
procedures for Al, Ca, Mg and Mn in tea samples. Ann Sci 18:313–318.
3. Kim J.Y., Kim D.B., Lee H.J., 2006. Regulations on health/functional foods in Korea.
Toxicology :221 ;112–118

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4. Langley-Evans S, 2000. Antioxidant potential of green and black tea determined
using the ferric reducing power (FRAP) assay. Int J Food Sci Nutr 51:181–188.
5. Manning J, Roberts JC., 2003. Analysis of catechin content of commercial green tea
products J Herb Pharmacother;3; 19–32.
6. McKay DL, Blumberg JB, 2002. The role of tea in human health: An update. J Am Coll
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