Abstract:

Tea obtained from the leaves of the plant known as Camellia sinensis is known nowadays as the most consumed beverage after water as a healthy beverage due to its bioactive molecules and high antioxidant capacity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 6 different tea forms (green tea, oolong tea, black tea, white tea, decaffeinated tea, and Pu-erh tea) sold on the market on the larval mortality and egg yield in Drosophila melanogaster. The effect of different tea forms on larval mortality rate was tested in Oregon R wild type D. melanogaster 3rd stage larvae. When the obtained data were examined, while the survival percentage in the control group was 95%, the same rate was found in decaffeinated tea. The survival percentage in green tea was determined to be 92%, 83% in oolong tea, 81% in black tea, 74% in white tea, and 39% in Pu-erh tea (p<0.05). When the effect of different tea types on egg yield was examined, the highest egg yield was observed in decaffeinated tea and green tea. The lowest egg yield was detected in the flies fed with Pu-erh tea (p<0.05). It was concluded that in the consumption of tea, which is the most consumed beverage after water in the world and Turkey, the amount of caffeine it contains is important, and that attention should be paid to the amount of tea consumed daily, especially due to its adverse effect on fecundity in females.

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