Caffeine in Green Tea: Its Removal and Isolation

Abstract

Green tea is a rich source of the strong antioxidants, the catechins, but it also contains high levels of caffeine, which may cause negative effects in some people and this has led to a demand for decaffeinated green tea. Numerous decaffeination methods have been developed to remove caffeine from green tea. This article reviews these decaffeination methods and discusses their advantages and limitations for future consideration. In addition, there is also a need for isolation of caffeine from natural sources for utilization as an additive in the beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, this article outlines the isolation methods of caffeine from green tea and discusses the potential for future studies.

Keywords:

• Decaffeination
• decaffeinated tea
• caffeine
• isolation
• green tea

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Dr. Mirella Atherton for her valuable comments and for editing this article. Appreciation is extended to the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) for granting Quan V. Vuong an Endeavor Scholarship.