Antioxidant, antimicrobial and synergistic activities of tea polyphenols

Microbial resistance to antibiotics has become an increasing global problem and there is a need to find out novel potent antimicrobial agents with alternative modes of action as accessories to antibiotic therapy. This study investigated the antioxidant, antimicrobial and synergistic properties of tea polyphenols. The tea germplasm from Kenya, China and Japan that are grown in Kenya were characterised for their biochemical profiles. The total phenolic content, theaflavins and thearubigins content of different tea products used in this study were determined spectrophotometrically according to Folin-Ciocalteus and flavognost methods, respectively. The individual catechin contents were characterised by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified according to their HPLC retention times, elution order and comparison with authentic standards. The antioxidant activity of tea polyphenols was determined spectrophotometrically on its ability to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The agar disc diffusion method was used to screen for antimicrobial and synergistic activities of the tea liquors. Black, green, purple coloured leaf and white (silvery tips) tea products differed significantly in the levels of total polyphenols, total catechins, catechins fractions, theaflavins and thearubigins (P<0.05). Green, purple coloured leaf (aerated) and black tea from terminal buds and white tea products analysed in this study exhibited slightly higher antioxidant activity than black tea. The different types of tea products exhibited significant influence on the inhibition zone diameters against bacteria and fungi exposed to the tea extracts. Methicillin and penicillinase resistant S. aureus ATCC 25923, C. albicans ATCC 90028 and a clinical isolate of C. neoformans were more susceptible to all tea extracts than E. coli and S. typhi. There was synergism between most tea extracts and penicillin G against methicillin and penicillinase resistant S. aureus ATTC 25923.