Biology project

TO ESTIMATE
RELATIVE
AMOUNT OF
CAFFEINE IN
VARIOUS
BRANDS OF TEA

CERTIFICATE

CONTENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Aim
Requirement
Introduction
Classification of tea plant
Importance of tea
Extraction of water soluble
component from tea sample(I)
Removal of tannic acid from filtrate(II)
Extraction of caffeine from tannic
acid free filtrate(III)
Calculation
Observation table
Experimental results
Precautions and expected errors
bibliography

AIM

Extraction

and
determination of
caffeine content in
various tea samples

REQUIREMENT
Beaker
Conical flask
Funnel
Heating arrangement
Samples of tea
Calcium carbonate
Dilute sulphuric acid
chloroform

INTRODUCTION

Most popular drinks in India

areTea and CoffeeAs is the
popularity of these drinks so is
the contribution of India in their
production. India has been the
leading producer of tea.
Tea grows indeed, fertile & well
drained soil. It require warm and
moist climate throughout the
year. Frequent showers, well
distributed over the year
ensures continuous growth of
tender leaves.

In India it grows mainly in low

hills of Assam, Hills of Darjeeling
and Jalpaiguri, Northern West
Bengal and the hill of Nilgiri
etc.Tea also causes many
harmful disease such as
Diabetes, problems in nervous
system, decrease in ADN
secretion which causes increase
in wine secretion and it has
Nicotine which is a Stimulant.

Classification of tea
plant
Kingdom - Plantae
Class - Dicotyledonae
Order - Theales
Family Theaceae
Genus - Thea
Species - Sinensis

IMPORTANCE OF
TEA
It is used as stimulant
It has antiviral and germicidal
activity
Black tea is capable of reducing
cholesterol and triglycerides
Tea is diuretic substances
Tea drinking facilitates muscle
contraction , induced by nerve
stimulation.

theory

Use difference in the solubility

of caffeine and tannic acid in
water and chloroform to
separate them from tea leaves.
Caffeine is much more soluble
in chloroform than in water. But
tannic acid is extensively
soluble in water as well as
chloroform.

Extraction of Water Soluble

Components from Tea Sample Step-I

Take about 100ml of distilled

water in 250ml conical flask.
Add 5gm of tea and boil it for 4
to 5 minute. Then cool it and
filter.
Repeat this process again with
100ml of distilled water and
residual tea leave.
The filtrate in each case should
be collected.
Now the wet tea samples may
be dried in an over and
weighted.

Removal of Tannic Acid from Filtrate Step-II

The filtrate obtained in the first step is

now boiled with 2-3 gm. calcium
carbonate to get tannic acid, present
in tea extract, precipitates. On leaving
it for ten minutes ppt. is obtained.
Filter the solution without disturbing
the ppt carefully. The ppt should be
transferred to filter paper only after all
the filtrate is removed.
Tannic acid has been extracted in the
form of calcium ternate which on
treatment with hydrochloric acid give
tannic acid.
The filtrate is now free from tannic
acid and can be used to extract
caffeine.

Extraction of Caffeine from Tannic

Acid Free Filtrate - Step-III

Take tannic acid filtrate obtained in

step 2(ii) and add 100 ml of
chloroform in it in a separating funnel
and allow it to stand for 10 minutes.
Again the same procedure as done in
(i)
Mix it with the previous one.
From this chloroform extract,
chloroform may be distilled or
evaporated.
The pale green residue obtained is
crude caffeine.
Repeat this experiment with other
brands of tea and record your
observation in a tabular form.

Calculations
Weight of tea used = W1gm.
Weight of Caffeine = W2gm.
Calculation :
Percentage of solute caffeine = W 1/W2x 100

Calculations of wagh bakri

W1= 6 gm
W2= 0.7 gm
Percentage of caffeine = 0.7 / 6 x 100
= 11.6%

Calculations of Lipton yellow label

W1= 6 gm
W2= 0.8 gm
Percentage of caffeine = 13.3%

Calculations of Taj Mahal

W1= 6 gm

W2= 0.7 gm

Percentage of caffeine = 11.6%

Calculations of Red Label

W1= 6 gm

W2= 0.72 gm

Percentage of caffeine = 12

Observation table
Sr,
no.

Brand
name

W1

W2

%age of
caffeine

Wagh
bakri

6gm

0.7gm

11.6

Lipton
yellow
label

6gm

0.8gm

13.3

Taj mahal

6gm

0.7gm

11.6

Red label

6gm

0.72gm 12.0

Experiment Results
The tea sample of Lipton yellow
label contain highest amount of
caffeine and hence :-
Gives better taste than others.
Is more harmful for our health.

Precautions and Expected

Errors :
Chloroform should not be smelt directly
for a long time as it itself is toxic.
The measurement of weight of tea
leaves and all extract should be precise.
The measurement of weight of tea
sample and all extract should be
precise.
The water used should be distilled.
Apparatus should be clean and dry.
No water should be added to any
extract in between the experiment as it
may get errors in calculation.
No prolonged heating should be done as
water may evaporate in large quantity
along with same volatile solutes

BIBLIOGRAPHY