• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.347-350
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• 2012

L-theanine was examined for its effects on the generation of superoxide anion, lysozyme and anti-protease in the plasma of catfish (Silurus asotus) by a single intraperitoneal injection with five different concentrations (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 mg/kg). When compared with the mock-injected group (0 mg/kg), both groups injected with 6 and 9 mg/kg were significantly enhanced in levels of superoxide anion in leukocytes, lysozyme and anti-protease in plasma. Based on the results, L-theanine is thought to function as an immunostimulant and/or immunomodulator on non-specific immune responses in catfish.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.918-923
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• 2003

L-theanine Is an amino acid in green tea and has been known to decrease serotonin and increase norepinephrine in rat brains, and also reported to produce mental relaxation, lower blood pressure and improve learning ability in human beings. But, few studies on these effects for human beings have been conducted so far. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of L-theanine on the release of brain alpha waves known to be related with mental relaxation and concentration. Twenty healthy male volunteers aged 18 to 30 years without any Physical and Psychological diseases were recruited through written advertisement. Alpha power values of EEG as a surrogate marker of mental relaxation and concentration were measured in frontal and occipital regions for 40 minutes after administration of four placebo or test tablets and 20 minute resting period. The same procedure crossed over at 7-day intervals. We analyzed average alpha power values in frontal and occipital regions at 10 minute intervals. Repeated ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences of occipital alpha power values between placebo and test groups with high anxiety (p < 0.05). The mean values at 20,30,40,50 and 60 minute intervals were 0.23, 024, 0.28, 0.25 and 0.34 in placebo, respectively and 0.23, 0.29, 0.40, 0.34, and 0.45 in test, respectively. But there were no significant differences of frontal and occipital alpha power values between placebo and test groups with low anxiety (p > 0.05) . The results of this study suggest that L-theanine containing tablets promote the release of alpha waves related to mental relaxation and concentration in young adult males.

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.165-166
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• 2007

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.911-918
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• 2007

Korean tea leaves (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis,), which were harvested in April, were fermented for various times, and then the changes in free amino acids (glutamic acid, GABA, arginine, theanine), pH, color values, and sensory qualities were evaluated. The pH in every sample became lower as fermentation time increased. Lightness also decreased as tea fermentation increased. Furthermore, glutamic acid, GABA, and arginine contents increased, while theanine content decreased, where it presented as 69% of the non-fermented tea leaves. GABA, a hypotensive compound, increased in the fermented tea leaves according to the degree of fermentation and hand rolling times. In terms of the theanine relaxation effect as well as taste, a shorter fermentation time is required, and for a hypotensive effect of GABA, fermentation needs to be increased. For the sensory evaluation, the preferred blend of taste and flavor was highest in the S8 tea sample.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.295-299
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• 2004

The prices of domestic green tea products are relatively expensive and price differences within products of the same levels of quality are various. Also, there is no basic criteria on evaluation of green tea quality. To group 43 commercial green tea products into several parts by the principal component and cluster analyses, this work was done by use of 8 chemical constituents which were analyzed by NIR system. The principal component and cluster analyses revealed 8 groups. The first group included 16 products that had lower free amino acid and theanine contents. The second group included 5 products having higher free amino acid and theanine contents, but lower ash contents. The third group included 13 products showing medium values of 8 constituents. The IV group included 4 products having higher contents of moisture, free amino acids, and theanine. The V group included 1 product showing higher moisture but lower catechins contents. The VI group included 2 products that had higher moisture and catechins contents, but lower free amino acid and theanine contents. The VII group had higher moisture and catechins contents. The VIII group had higher ash and vitamin C contents. The free amino acid contents which were the most important in flavor evaluation of green tea quality did highly positively correlate with the contents of total nitrogen $(0.956^{**}),\;theanine\;(0.981^{**}),\;and\;caffeine\;(0.793^{**})$, but negatively with the contents of ash $(-0.884^{**})$. The catechins used as for functional ingredients did correlate with contents of caffeine(+) and vitamin C(-), respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.356-362
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• 2003

The present study was conducted to know the physicochemical properties of non fermented tea and fermented teas with the fermented time of 0 hr (non fermented tea), 10 hrs, 17 hrs (semi-fermented tea), 24 hrs (black tea), respectively The moisture content of non fermented tea, semi fermented, and black tea was 3.01% ~ 3.29%. The contents of reducing sugar, crude lipid, crude protein were increased and that of ascorbic acid was decresed with fermentation. The total contents of those increased as tea was more fermented. The contents of the citric acid and the malic acid were increased with fermentation, but the content of the succinic acid was decreased. However, the total content of organic acid was generally increased with fermentation. The total content of the amino acid was increased with fermentation. In non fermented tea, Thr+theanine, the Asp, and the Glu, were determined in order of content. In semi-fermented tea and black tea, Ter+theanine, Glu, and Asp were determined in order of content. The rate of essential amino acid in the total content of free amino acid was increased with fermentation. The content of theanine was 1.21% in non fermented tea and 1.50% in black tea. The contents of theanine were increased as tea was more fermented. The content of caffein was 3.57% in non fermented tea and 3.55 ~ 3.60% in semi-fermented tea and black tea. These results were inconsistent in the content of caffein. Five kinds of catechin, that is, cathechin, epigallocathechin, epicathechin, epigallocathechin gallate, and epicathechin gallate were extracted. The content of catechin was 14.18% in non fermented tea, but decreased sharply as tea was more fermented.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2001.12a
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• pp.38-47
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• 2001

L-theanine is a unique amino acid, found almost solely in tea plants. It is the main component responsible for the exotic taste of green tea. In our studies of L-theanine, we have found a variety of biological activities including relaxation and the alleviation of PMS. In general, animals generate very weak electric pulses on the surface of the brain, called brain waves. Brain waves are classified into four types, namely $\alpha$, $\beta$, $\delta$ and $\theta$-waves, based on their frequency. Brain waves correlate with individual mental conditions. For example, generation of $\alpha$-waves is considered an index of relaxation. In human volunteers, $\alpha$-waves were generated on the occipital and parietal regions of the brain surface within 40 minutes after the oral administration of 50 or 200 mg Suntheanine$^{TM}$ without causing drowsiness. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a symptom unique to women which appears in the luteal phase from the ovulation period through the first day of menstruation. It possesses characteristics of having a peak just prior to menstruation and disappearing 1 - 2 days following the start of menstruation. Symptoms of PMS are generally categorized as mental, physical and social symptoms. When comparing the reported Symptoms of PMS by the methods of MDQ score, the Suntheanine$^{TM}$ group was found to have a lower incidence of PMS symptoms, including physical, mental and social symptoms. Overall, a significant alleviation of PMS symptoms by the administration of 200 mg Suntheanine$^{TM}$ was observed. With the successful industrial production of L-theanine, we are now able to supply Suntheanine$^{TM}$, offering a tremendous opportunity for designing functional foods targeting relaxation and the alleviation of PMS.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.111-111
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• 2003

Green tea have been widely reported as functional foods because of their various bioactivities. In the present study, we used 3T3-Ll cells model of white adipocytes to clarify whether green tea and its main pharmaceutically effective compounds (EGCG, caffeine and theanine) prevent obesity. Cellular viability, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, glycerol release and HSL mRNA levels were checked. Glycerol release into the medium was significantly increased by the cells treated with green tea extract. Glycerol release into the medium was significantly increased by the cells treated with green tea extract. Caffeine and theanine from green tea showed some level of lipolytic activity, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was remarkably decreased by EGCG. These results suggest that green tea has anti-obesity effect through inhibition of adipogenesis and stimulation of lipolysis. Catechins and theanine of green tea might be the factors responsible for the modulation of lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.370-380
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate the properties of soils in the sampling green tea farms and the chemical constituents of the green tea leaves at the 3 harvest stages (Ujeon ${\rightarrow}$ Sejag ${\rightarrow}$ Jungjag). The results as follows; The properties of the soils were sandy loam, loam, well drained and fertile-rich in phosphoric acids in general. The contents of chlorophyll, tannin, vitamin-c and total catechin were increased as harvest periods getting late but the contents of total nitrogen, free amino acids, theanine, caffeine were decreased on the reverse. The inorganic constituents Mg, Ca and Mn were increased as harvest periods getting late but the Na, K, B contents were decreased on the reverse. The contents of the total nitrogen, chlorophyll, total free amino acid, theanine, caffeine and total catechin and Na, Mg, Ca, B and Se were insignificant differences between Ujeon and Sejag.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.267-276
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• 2016

This study used HPLC to analyze the contents of catechins, alkaloids, and theanine of commercial green tea. Green tea samples were stored for 6 months at five different temperatures, $30^{\circ}C$, $15^{\circ}C$, $4^{\circ}C$, $-15^{\circ}C$ and $-40^{\circ}C$. Catechins change in storage temperature was $30^{\circ}C$ > $15^{\circ}C$ > $4^{\circ}C$ > $-15^{\circ}C$ > $-40^{\circ}C$ stored for 6 months. Total alkaloids content higher levels were CAF(27.49 mg/g) with lower level of TB(2.16 mg/g) and TP(0.28 mg/g). The total alkaloids content decreased in the longer storage periods, a similar case with, although CAF were almost unchanged in all storage temperatures. The results indicate that temperature and storage time are important in the storage of green tea, with refrigerated and frozen conditions as preferable to increase or preserve the chemical compounds of the green tea.