THE FORMS OF FLUORINE IN TEA AND ITS BIOACCESSIBILITY

The tea plant is a hyper-accumulator of fluorine, especially in its mature leaves, which may negatively affect human health. In this study, the forms of fluorine in tea leaves and its bioaccessibility were analyzed. The results showed that tea polysaccharides accumulated about 68% fluorine of tea leaf. The bioaccessibility of fluorine in polysaccharides and tea water extract were lower than that of fluorine in sodium fluoride. The addition to polysaccharides by thearubigins and theabrownins, at a ratio of 1:2, reduced fluorine bioaccessibility. The addition of milk, more than 40 mL to 1 g polysaccharides, could also significantly reduce fluorine bioaccessibility, which may be attributed mainly to proteins and calcium compounds in milk. The present study suggests that the bioaccessibility of fluorine in tea is affected by the fluorine form and adding milk when drinking tea, which can effectively reduce side effects of fluorine in tea.