Content of essential oil, terpenoids and polyphenols in commercial chamomile (Chamomilla recutita L. Rauschert) teas from different countries

Commercial samples of German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert) tea (n = 13), packaged in different countries and purchased in Estonia either at food markets (9) or at retail pharmacies (4), were analysed for the essential oil and terpenoid content and constituents by GC–MS. Also the tea infusions were analysed for polyphenols spectrophotometrically and chromatographically by LC-DAD–MS/MS. The oils were obtained from chamomile flowers with yields of 0.10 – 0.61%. The existence of two types of chamomile tea, one rich in bisabolol oxides and the other in (−)-α-bisabolol, was established. The total content of polyphenols in gallic acid equivalents, estimated by the classical Folin–Ciocalteu method (TPFC), was almost independent of the sample origin, but the total content of polyphenols (in chlorogenic acid equivalents) calculated on the basis of net areas under the chromatographic curves (AUC) of the infusions at 280 nm (TPAUC) showed a significant variability as well as content of total flavonols (0.29–1.21%) or total phenolic acids (7.7–91.4 mg/200 ml). The major phenolic compounds in the chamomile infusions were chlorogenic acids, ferulic acid glycosides, dicaffeoyl quinic acids and apigenin glycosides. Based on the amounts of essential oil, terpenoids, total flavonols and major phenolic compounds, the quality of the commercial chamomile teas was very variable, and the chamomile teas available in pharmacies should be preferred for the medical purposes.