Phytochemical Screening, Proximate Analysis and Antioxidant Vitamins of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) Leaves Consumed in Sokoto Metropolis, Sokoto-State, Nigeria

Abstract

Green tea is widely known for its numerous health benefits which include fat burning, weight loss, improved brain function, and lowering the risk of diabetes. However, there is paucity of information on its nutritional composition. This study qualitatively screened green tea leaves for the presence of phytochemicals and also determined the proximate and antioxidant vitamin contents of the leaves using standard analytical procedures. The study showed that the leaves contain alkaloids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenols and sterols. The proximate analysis and levels of some antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, C and E) revealed that green tea contains high fibre content (48.58%) and significantly (p<0.05) higher concentration of vitamin A (2212.85 ± 20.02 mg/dl) and vitamin E (532.51 ± 0.87 mg/dl) compared to vitamin C (1.06 ± 0.03 mg/dl). The results suggest that consumption of green tea by humans can serve as a rich source of vitamin A and E. The tea can also be used extensively for its ethnomedicinal benefits.