Caffeine Extraction from Nature's Pride Tea
Results and Discussion
A. Table of Result of Extraction
Weight (g)
Tea Leaves
5.5783
Crude Caffeine
0.0246
Empty Beaker
117.5350
Beaker + Crude Caffeine
117.5596
The table above shows the weight of the sample tea leaves, the crude caffeine content in the sample, the empty beaker used in the extraction, and the beaker with the crude caffeine. It is induced from there that for that amount of sample tea leaves, which is equivalent to three bags of Nature’s Pride Tea; there is a 0.0246 g content of crude caffeine for every 3 servings of this tea.
The major components of tea leaves are polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, theanine, theobromine, and theopylline. According to the Journal of Chinese Medicine, tannins are astringent, bitter-tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins. Catechins belong to the flavan-3-ol class of flavonoids, tannins which are polyphenolic substances. The four main catechins found in tea are: Gallocatechin (GC), Epigallocatechin (EGC), Epicatechin (EC), and Epigallocatechin Gallate (ECGC). They have an antioxidant activity and have also been associated with tea’s anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, thermogenic and antimicrobial properties. Theanine is a non-protein amino acid mainly found naturally in the tea plant, Theobromine (belongs to a class of alkaloid molecules known as methylxanthines) is mildly diuretic (increases urine production), is a mild stimulant, and relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchi the lungs, and Theopylline, A colourless crystalline alkaloid, is a cardiac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant, diuretic and vasodilator. Since this experiment is about extracting caffeine from the tea leaves, caffeine is also a component of the tea used. Caffeine, as said in the introduction, acts as a mild stimulant to the nervous system, blocking the neurotransmitter adenosine and resulting in a feeling of well-being and alertness (The Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2013).
A. Table of Result of Extraction
Weight (g)
Tea Leaves
5.5783
Crude Caffeine
0.0246
Empty Beaker
117.5350
Beaker + Crude Caffeine
117.5596
The table above shows the weight of the sample tea leaves, the crude caffeine content in the sample, the empty beaker used in the extraction, and the beaker with the crude caffeine. It is induced from there that for that amount of sample tea leaves, which is equivalent to three bags of Nature’s Pride Tea; there is a 0.0246 g content of crude caffeine for every 3 servings of this tea.
The major components of tea leaves are polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, theanine, theobromine, and theopylline. According to the Journal of Chinese Medicine, tannins are astringent, bitter-tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins. Catechins belong to the flavan-3-ol class of flavonoids, tannins which are polyphenolic substances. The four main catechins found in tea are: Gallocatechin (GC), Epigallocatechin (EGC), Epicatechin (EC), and Epigallocatechin Gallate (ECGC). They have an antioxidant activity and have also been associated with tea’s anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, thermogenic and antimicrobial properties. Theanine is a non-protein amino acid mainly found naturally in the tea plant, Theobromine (belongs to a class of alkaloid molecules known as methylxanthines) is mildly diuretic (increases urine production), is a mild stimulant, and relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchi the lungs, and Theopylline, A colourless crystalline alkaloid, is a cardiac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant, diuretic and vasodilator. Since this experiment is about extracting caffeine from the tea leaves, caffeine is also a component of the tea used. Caffeine, as said in the introduction, acts as a mild stimulant to the nervous system, blocking the neurotransmitter adenosine and resulting in a feeling of well-being and alertness (The Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2013).
Bibliography: Components of Tea. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2013, from The Journal of Chinese Medicine: http://www.jcm.co.uk/tea-shop/making-tea/components-of-tea/ Goldberg, D. E. (2007). Fundamentals of Chemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Sharpe, C. E. (2005). Inorganic Chemistry. London: Pearson Education Limited. ADDITIONAL INFO FOR CONCLU ***INTERPRET THE PERCENT ERRORS*** The disparity in the melting point can have several causes. It is possible that the temperature on the thermometer bulb could have been slightly different than the temperature inside the capillary, or that a few impurities such as dust could have gone to the capillary with the caffeine, causing the substance to melt at a lower temperature. The extracted caffeine had a huge percent error because the brand of the tea used was known for having less caffeine than the typical caffeinated tea.