Lichi are the most important export fruit of China, but 20 % is lost by decay after harvesting. The group of Hongxia QU at South China Botanical Garden found that epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG, extracted from green tea, is a powerfull stabilizer and antioxidant which, after soaking the dry fruit in a 0.05 – 2 % solution, improves stability and reduces browing.
China Bio news release, Dec. 26, 2014