ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Differentiation of black, green, herbal and fruit bagged teas based on multi-element analysis using inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Jovana N. Veljković, Aleksandra N. Pavlović, Jelena M. Brcanović, Snežana S. Mitić, Snežana B. Tošić, Emilija T. Pecev-Marinković, and Milan N. Mitić

^aDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, P.O.Box 224, 18000 Niš, Serbia

E-mail: aleksandra.pavlovic@pmf.edu.rs

Abstract: In the present paper, multi-element characterisation of 26 bagged teas was carried out using inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Na, K, Ca and Mg were the metals with major contents. Among the essential elements, Fe and Zn were the most abundant, followed by Se, Cu, Mo and Cr. The tea bag samples also contained significant contents of Mn and Al. The chemometric techniques of linear correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used for differentiation of the tea bag samples according to their metal content. The samples analysed were classified into four groups by PCA and CA. The first group includes hibiscus, nettle, mint, rtanj tea, thyme, bearberry and sage. Green and black teas are in the second group. The third group contains strawberry, lime, pineapple, pomegranate, elder, blueberry, milfoil, apricot and chamomile. Exotic fruits, sweet cherry, forest fruits, apple, St John’s wort, rose hips, cherry and raspberry are in the fourth group.

Keywords: bagged teas – metals – inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry – principal component analysis – cluster analysis – correlation analysis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2015-0215

Chemical Papers 70 (4) 488–494 (2016)