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Lignan and isoflavonoid concentrations in tea and coffee

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

W. M. Mazur ,
K. Wähälä ,
S. Rasku ,
A. Salakka ,
T. Hase  and
H. Adlercreutz
W. M. Mazur
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, PO Box 60, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
K. Wähälä
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, PO Box 55, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
S. Rasku
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, PO Box 55, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
A. Salakka
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, PO Box 55, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
T. Hase
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, PO Box 55, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
H. Adlercreutz*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, PO Box 60, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
*
*Corresponding author:Professor Herman Adlercreutz, fax +358 9 615 85 633; email herman.adlercreutz@helsinki.fi
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Abstract

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Tea is a beverage consumed widely throughout the world. The existence in tea of chemopreventing compounds possessing antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic and antioxidative properties has been reported. High intakes of tea and foods containing flavonoids have recently been shown to be negatively correlated to the occurrence of CHD. However, tea may contain other compounds with similar activities. Using a new gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric method we measured lignans and isoflavonoids in samples of twenty commercial teas (black, green and red varieties) and, for comparison, six coffees. Both unbrewed and brewed tea were investigated. The analysis of the teas yielded relatively high levels of the lignans secoisolariciresinol (5.6–28.9 mg/kg; 15.9–81.9 μmol/kg) and matairesinol (0.56–4.13 mg/kg; 1.6–11.5 μmol/kg) but only low levels of isoflavonoids. Because the plant lignans, as well as their mammalian metabolites enterolactone and enterodiol, have antioxidative properties and these mammalian lignans occur in high concentrations in plasma, we hypothesize that lignan polyphenols may contribute to the protective effect of tea on CHD.

Keywords

TeaCoffeePhyto-oestrogensLignans
Type
Human and Clinical Nutrition
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 79 , Issue 1 , January 1998 , pp. 37 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1998

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