Spectroscopic Studies on the Oxidation of Catechin in Aqueous Solution

The spectroscopic behavior of catechin (5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavan-3-ol), has been studied in the presence and the absence of air using UV-vis absorption spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of catechin shows a very sharp and strong absorption maximum peak at 275 nm in deaerated water. New absorption maximum peaks appeared in aerated water, as well as in basic aqueous solution, caused by the oxidation of catechin. The absorbances in the UV-vis absorption spectrum of catechin decreased when the solution was left in the dark for a long time. The fluorescence emission spectrum of catechin after a long time period differs markedly from that in freshly prepared solution; the fluorescence maxia shifted as time passes after adding catechin to the solutions. When the deaerated basic catechin solutions were left in the dark for a long time, their fluorescence quantum yields were found to be nearly zero. This suggests that the oxidized catechin molecules were seen to have slowly undergone successive chemical reactions in basic buffer solution.