Seasonal variations in the phenolic profile, antioxidant activity, and mineral content of south Indian black tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)

Experimental site and sampling

The study was carried out in Valparai, Tamil Nadu, India, at 1050 m above MSL in the TRI (Tea Research Experimental Farm) of the UPASI (United Planters’ Association of Southern India). Three cultivars—UPASI-3, UPASI-9, and UPASI-17—that stand in for “Assam,” “China,” and “Cambod” were employed as test subjects, together with seedlings of “Assam” seedling and TRI-2043, a mutant created by the Tea Research Institute in Sri Lanka. Sampling was done regularly during a two-year period at intervals of one month. The study area received annual rainfall of…