Comparison on chemical compositions and antioxidant capacities of the green, oolong, and red tea from blueberry leaves.

Blueberry leaves, by-products of the blueberry industry, could be explored as source of functional foods, such as teas. Three different types of tea, including nonfermented green tea, semifermented oolong tea, and fully fermented red tea from blueberry leaves, were investigated on their chemical compositions and antioxidant capacities here. The contents of individual amino acids in three types varied, while the total amounts retained constant. A total of 167 volatiles were detected with alcohols, alkenes, and aldehydes as the dominant. More volatiles produced in the fermented teas. The total phenolic/flavonoid contents were highest in the green tea and decreased significantly in the oolong and red teas, correlating inversely with the fermentation degree. The highest levels of representative phenolics, that is, phenolic acids and flavonol glycosides, contributed to the strongest antioxidant capacity in the green tea. These indicated that blueberry leaves provided promising and prospective potential to develop new teas beneficial for health.