Abstract:Precipitates in green tea extracts mainly consist of polyphenols. The binding of phenolic substances with macromolecular substances such as caffeine and proteins lead to turbidity in tea infusions after cooling. Precipitates in green tea extracts adversely affect the appearance and reduce the taste and aroma quality of the product. In particular, ester catechins are the main substances that bind with caffeine and proteins. Examples are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG). Ester catechins, which possess an increased number of galloyl and hydroxyl groups, exhibit a higher tendency to form precipitates than non-ester catechins. In this research, tannase was introduced during clarification of tea extracts to improve the taste and mitigate the turbidity after cooling. The optimal process to reduce precipitation of green tea extracts by the addition of tannase was obtained by combining single-factor and orthogonal experiments. The optimal conditions were as follows: temperature of 30 ℃, tannase concentration of 0.15% (m/m), and hydrolysis time of 60 min. The obtained green tea extract exhibited mild bitterness and astringency, pronounced aftertaste, and minimal precipitation. In conclusion, tannase addition resulted in improved taste of the green tea extracts. This research identified the optimal processing conditions to enhance the quality of green tea extracts using tannase. The findings of this study provide insights into the production of highquality green tea extract products that meet market demand.