Journal of Chromatography A, 1011 (2003) 173–180 www.elsevier.com / locate / chroma Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography * David J. Weiss , Christopher R. Anderton Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA Received 26 February 2003; received in revised form 15 May 2003; accepted 25 June 2003 Abstract Catechins in green tea are known to have many beneficial health properties. Recently, it has been suggested that matcha has greater potential health benefits than other green teas. Matcha is a special powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. However, there has been no investigation to quantitate the catechin intake from matcha compared to common green teas. We have developed a rapid method of analysis of five catechins and caffeine in matcha using micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Results are presented for water and methanol extractions of matcha compared with water extraction of a popular green tea. Using a mg catechin / g of dry leaf comparison, results indicate that the concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) available from drinking matcha is 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from China Green Tips green tea, and at least three times higher than the largest literature value for other green teas.  2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Tea; Food analysis; Catechins; Epigallocatechin gallate 1. Introduction addition, green tea polyphenolic compounds are known to act as strong antioxidants [5–10]. Tea is perhaps the most popular drink in the world One of the most intriguing properties of green tea besides water [1–3]. Recently, there has been in- has been its proposed chemo-preventative effects creased interest in understanding the relationship [9–15]. For example, Imai and co-authors studied between our health and diet. With this in mind, a 8552 Japanese men and women and found a negative number of studies have been performed in order to relationship between green tea consumption and investigate the relationship between green tea con- cancer incidence [13]. Tea drinking has also been sumption and health. For example, recent evidence found to decrease the concentration of biomarkers suggests that there is an inverse relationship between for oxidative stress after smoking [12]. One possible tea consumption and ischemic heart disease [4]. In explanation for this effect is that polyphenolic com- pounds show good inhibition of proteolytic enzymes such as urokinase which cancers need to invade cells and form metastases [11]. More recently, Fujiki and *Corresponding author. 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, SB-1, co-authors demonstrated the inhibition of tumor Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA. Tel.: 11-719-262-3565; fax: necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) by epigallocatechin gal- 11-719-262-3047. E-mail address: dweiss@uccs.edu (D.J. Weiss). late (EGCG) found in green tea. This cytokine is 0021-9673 / 03 / $ – see front matter  2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016 / S0021-9673(03)01133-6