Phytochemical Analysis of Chinese Herbal Tea (CHT) by Soxhlet Extraction

The rise of drug-resistant bacteria in recent years has drastically increased. The alternative antimicrobial agents have heightened interest in plant-derived natural active compounds. This study examines the phytochemical composition and assesses the antimicrobial efficacy of Camellia sinensis, Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice), Morus alba (Mulberry), and Zingiber officinale (Ginger). The leaves can be mostly used as traditional medicine which includes reducing inflammation, stress alleviation, immune system support and more. However, there is lacked information about the phytochemical content and antibacterial activity of herbal tea. The Soxhlet extraction method using methanol as its solvent was used to create an extract from the leaves of C. sinensis, G. glabra, M. alba, and Z. officinale. Total Phenolic Contents (TPC), Total Flavonoid Contents (TFC), and Antioxidants Activity (AOA) are expected to attain elevated levels with significant antibacterial efficacy. A finding of this study shown C. sinensis, Chinese Herbal tea (CHT or black tea), Z. officiniale, M. alba, G. glabra had shown a TPC values at 180 μg GAE/g < 160 μg GAE/g < 65 μg GAE/g < 50 μg GAE/g < 40 μg GAE/g. The Total Phenolic Contents (TPC) of C. sinensis extract at 0.58 μg GAE/g more than mixed Chinese herbal tea. However, Z. officinale and CHT potent antibacterial activity compared with other extracts. The future investigation will involve the encapsulation of samples, extraction of crude using various techniques, and manipulation of raw material ratio to provide a more precise evaluation of this Chinese Herbal Tea.