Fast Determination of Catechins and Xanthines in Tea Beverages by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography

Antioxidant properties and stimulating effects of green tea are related to its content of cathechins and xanthines; tea quality evaluation is based on organoleptic tests and on the presence of those components. In this work, by a MEKC method, eight cathechins and three xanthines were quantified in some tea-based beverages. The best separation was realized using a phosphate−borate running buffer, with sodium dodecyl sulfate as micellar agent. A 40 cm capillary, a temperature of 29 °C, a voltage of 30 kV, and UV detection at 200 nm were used. The method showed a very good sensitivity (limit of detection ranging from 0.0011 to 0.0051 μg/mL) and was applied to real tea samples to characterize their antioxidant content. Statistical studies were performed and showed a satisfactory reliability of the data. Keywords: Capillary electrophoresis; tea leaves; polyphenols; catechins; xanthines