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Aromatic Indian teas showed stronger bioactivity in several tests

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A white table displays a progression of dried tea leaves and spices arranged left to right, alongside white bowls containing steeped tea of varying colors from light to dark amber, with a tablet device visible in the background on the upper right.
Research area:BiochemistryPhytochemicals and Antioxidant ActivitiesTea Polyphenols and Effects

What the study found

The study found that aromatic, spice-enriched Indian teas generally showed stronger bioactivity than non-aromatic teas in several tests. HPTLC, or high-performance thin-layer chromatography, identified rutin, gallic acid, catechin, quercetin, and ferulic acid as major compounds in the tea extracts.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors say the findings highlight aromatic Indian teas, especially spice-enriched Ooty and Darjeeling variants, as potentially accessible functional beverages. The study suggests these teas may be relevant in the context of oxidative stress-associated metabolic disorders, including diabetes.

What the researchers tested

The researchers compared traditional and aromatic black teas from Darjeeling and Ooty. They measured phenolic and flavonoid content, tested antioxidant activity with DPPH and FRAP assays, assessed antidiabetic effects with α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, evaluated safety and anti-inflammatory effects in Caco-2 and RAW 264.7 cell lines, and used molecular docking plus MM-GBSA binding energy calculations.

What worked and what didn't

Aromatic Ooty tea had the highest flavonoid content, while non-aromatic Ooty tea had the highest total phenolic content. Antioxidant activity was especially high in aromatic teas, with Darjeeling masala tea showing the highest FRAP value; antidiabetic effects were strongest for aromatic Ooty tea against α-amylase and for non-aromatic Darjeeling tea against α-glucosidase. The study also reports significant nitric oxide reduction in LPS-stimulated macrophages, and docking results supported strong binding of rutin and quercetin to key metabolic enzymes.

What to keep in mind

The summary provided does not describe detailed study limitations. The findings come from in vitro and in silico testing, so the abstract does not state whether the results were confirmed in living people.

Key points

  • Aromatic Indian teas showed higher phenolic and flavonoid content in the study.
  • Aromatic Ooty tea had the highest flavonoid content reported.
  • Darjeeling masala tea showed the highest FRAP antioxidant value.
  • Rutin, gallic acid, catechin, quercetin, and ferulic acid were identified as major compounds.
  • Rutin and quercetin showed strong binding in molecular docking analyses.

Disclosure

Research title:
Aromatic Indian teas showed stronger bioactivity in several tests
Authors:
Kritika Kuksal, Aman Sharma, Abhilasha Sharma, Amisha Rani, Sumandeep Kaur, Deepak Mehta, Arti Nile, Shivraj Hariram Nile
Institutions:
Amity University, Amity University, BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute, BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute, BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute, BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute, BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute, BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University
Publication date:
2026-03-08
DOI:
10.1016/j.afres.2026.101861
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.