Sep-pak C18 extracts of nineteen commercially available tea drinks were examined for inhibitory effects on the mutagenicity for three nitroarenes using umu-test. Antimutagenic activity of tea drinks increased in the following order: blend tea drinks < green tea drinks < oolong tea drinks. Furthermore, anti-mutagens (EGC, C, EGCG, EC, ECG, ascorbic acid, gallic acid and caffeine) concentrations of nineteen commercially available tea drinks were determined by HPLC combined with UV detector and electro-chemical detector. Higher concentrations of EGCG and EGC were detected in green tea drinks than oolong tea drinks. Total mean concentration of five catechins in oolong tea drinks was less than half of one in green tea drinks. These results suggest that there is no correlation between antimutagenicity for nitroarenes and catechin concentrations in commercially available tea drinks
