Tea (Camellia sinensis) is the most consumed beverage, also known for its medicinal value. However, due to fast life, different tea infusion preparation methods have been utilized nowadays, the present study was undertaken to find out whether variation in preparation processes might alter the antioxidative qualities or bioactive contents of the infusions. Infusions were prepared by traditional soaking in hot water as well as by microwave heating of six different commercial samples. The assays performed included DPPH radical decolorization assay and estimation bioactives like of total polyphenols, tannin, monomeric anthocyanin, total flavonoid and ascorbic acid. It was observed that there were non-significant differences in the levels of bioactives like polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids and monomeric anthocyanins. However, DPPH radical scavenging abilities were lower in commercially packaged samples indicating lower levels of non-polar antioxidants in the samples, which might not affect the acceptability of the samples as the consumable infusions are prepared in water. The study also divulged that the total phenolic content did not differ significantly between the sources of the tea samples. Even after heat treatments, the amounts did not change significantly, indicating possible balance between the stabilization and decomposition of the bioactives. There was also a tendency of conservancy of the bioactives by soaking method of infusion preparation compared to the microwave method
