Phytochemical Analysis of Mint and Salvia officinalis L. Tea using FTIR Technique

Tea is among the most consumed drinks worldwide with broad health benefits, such as cardiovascular protection and anticancer effect. The chemical compositions of the tea change greatly. The evaluation of the composition of nutrients in tea plants cultivated in different countries is of great importance from the perspective of quality, standards, nutrition, and health. The objective of this study was to use different methods for analysis to determine if the tea extracts contain phenols, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids and tannins. The determination of phytochemicals is very important for many reasons. From the phytochemicals analysis it was conducted that the presence of tannins was found only in mint leaves and flowers. The analysis showed that flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids and phenols were present in all samples. The pH value was determined. Salvia officinalis had the highest pH value (7.35), while for the mint leaves and flowers the pH value was 6.45 respectively 7.02. TLC analysis of tea extracts was done for confirmation and visualization of bioactive compounds. ATR-FTIR was used to identify the functional groups as well as the possible structures of the compounds found in these plants. It can be concluded that these plants contain different bioactive compounds and can be recommended as plants of phytopharmaceutical importance.