Separation of radioactive metabolites in cultured tea cells fed with [14C]phenylalanine using high-speed counter-current chromatography

Separation of radioactive metabolites in cultured tea cells fed with [14C]phenylalanine was conducted using high-speed counter-current chromatography. Among seven components obtained our studies focused two metabolites, i.e. (−)-epicatechin and d,l-catechin. The specific radioactivity of (−)-epicatechin was 212.01 KBq/mg, amounting to 8.5% of the total radioactivity of ethyl acetate extract while that of d,l-catechin was 1.0006 MBq/mg or 5.4% of the total.