Chemical constituents, health-promoting effects, potential risks and future prospective of Chinese herbal tea: A review
Xingmei Lin, Huiping Li, Baokang Huang
Abstract
• Herbal tea is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine culture with long history. • Herbal tea can clearing heat, expelling fire, dispelling dampness and detoxifying. • Herbal tea possesses antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor activities. • Herbal tea contains flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, saponins, polysaccharides. • Improper use or inferior quality of herbal tea might cause toxicity or side effects. Chinese herbal tea is a beverage made of one or more kinds of traditional Chinese medicines or herbs, which is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine culture and a Chinese intangible cultural heritage. It has long been utilized for beneficial intentions in many national areas. Drinking herbal tea is popular in most provinces and cities in China, such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, and it is also produced in Japan, the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions, and gradually expand to the world. Herbal tea contains flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, polysaccharides and glycosides, etc., which supply herbal tea with anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-tumor, anti-aging and hepatoprotective effects. With the continuous expansion of the herbal tea market, the efficacy and safety of herbal tea has garnered great attention. This article reviews the research progress of chemical composition, pharmacological activity, and security of herbal tea in China.