Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in world after water. Whether it is black, green or red tea, all contain polyphenols which gives tea its antioxidant properties. A number of studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of polyphenol. Some studies indeed suggested that tea’s polyphenols do reduce the risk of gastric and skin cancer if any one consumes 4 to 6 cups daily. So an attempt is envisaged, in the present study to estimate precisely the percentage of polyphenols in various brands of commercial tea leaf or dust available in market. Based on the percentage of polyphenols, the various brands of tea dust are rated on their therapeutic and medicinal value. In this project work, we have used liquid-liquid extraction using ether as solvent to separate polyphenols.

Key words: Polyphenols, antioxidants, anticancer, green tea, tannic acid