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Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

  • A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
  • A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
  • A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
  • A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

  • Jun Wang
  • Kim Instenes
  • John Kirk
  • Nora Nickels
  • Andrew Pustina
  • James Ripley

Investigation of Tea Chemistry

Name: Renee Jalbert
Major: Biology
Hometown: Belvidere, Illinois
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:  
Type of research: Independent research
Funding: Carthage College Undergraduate Research Grant

Abstract

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. Most teas are produced from a single plant, Camellia sinensis; the variations in smell and taste result in great part from the different manufacturing (fermentation and roasting) processes used to create the final product. The type of tea produced (black, green, white, oolong, and puer) depends on the amount of fermentation (oxidation) allowed to occur and resulting differences in chemical composition. The chemicals within the tea leaves produce the varying tastes and smells that appeal to our senses. Flavor compounds include a variety of catechins, as well as methylxanthine alkaloids, that also have well-known physiological effects. Aroma compounds include volatile molecules stemming from non-volatile precursors in the leaves that undergo a series of enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation reactions. This project aims to analyze the concentration of theaflavins, catechins, and methylxanthines in teas using high performance liquid chromatography to establish whether there is an association between the different chemical concentrations and fermentation methods. Volatile tea compounds are also determined through headspace analysis via gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in multiple oolong cultivars to expand the understanding of the relationship between different types of tea leaves and their aroma profiles.

Poster file

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