Date:18/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/11/18/stories/2008111851101900.htm

Back Nilgiri green tea finds a new taker in pharma industry

P.S. Sundar

Coonoor, Nov. 16 Pharmaceutical companies are stepping up their purchase of Nilgiri green tea for medicine manufacture, producers contend.

Green tea is manufactured by steaming, rolling and drying of tea leaves. There is no fermentation unlike in black tea manufacture. So, the green tea brew is light. Green tea is, therefore, said to retain more therapeutic values of tea.

anti-oxidant

Researchers have proved that green tea is a potent source for healing anti-oxidants helping to fight cancer, cholesterol, blood pressure, dental and gum decay, indigestion and diarrhoea. So, pharmaceutical industry is keen to source quality green tea.

“Pharmaceutical industry is unable to extract from Chinese tea adequate quality of polyphenols required for drug manufacture. Hence, it is stepping up purchases of our green teas,” saidMr M.N. Bopanna, Managing Director, Craigmore Plantations (I) Ltd, told Business Line.