A Simple Isolation Method for the Major Catechins in Green Tea Using High-Speed Countercurrent Chromatography

An efficient protocol for the preparative purification of the major tea catechins (−)-epicatechin gallate (3) and epigallocatechin gallate (5) has been developed, employing liquid−liquid partitioning, high-speed countercurrent chromatography, and gel chromatography for final purification. The method is suitable for scale-up to significantly larger quantities.