Characterizing flavor determinants and α-glucosidase inhibitory components in ancient tea plants and ‘Qiancha 1’ white teas

Author: mycolabadmin
3/25/2025
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Summary

Researchers compared white teas made from ancient tea plants (over 100 years old) with modern cultivated tea varieties. The ancient teas had stronger floral aromas and more bitter taste due to higher levels of beneficial compounds. These compounds, particularly trans-β-ionone and β-damascenone, may help regulate blood sugar levels, making ancient tea plants valuable for both flavor and potential health benefits.

Background

White tea is a lightly fermented beverage with sweet-mellow flavor influenced by cultivar, processing, and storage. Ancient tea plants (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, ≥100 years old) serve as living gene banks with unique metabolic regulation networks different from cultivated varieties. Understanding the molecular basis of tea flavor quality is vital for optimizing production and enhancing sensory quality.

Objective

This study aimed to compare white teas derived from ancient tea plants (AT) and the cultivar ‘Qiancha 1’ (QC1) using multi-omics approaches to identify differences in volatile/non-volatile components, sensory traits, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The research seeks to establish a flavor chemical fingerprint for ancient tea plants and clarify quality differentiation mechanisms.

Results

Ancient tea plants exhibited significantly higher floral intensity and volatile organic compound content (109.50 μg/L vs 99.41 μg/L in QC1). Trans-β-ionone (rOAV=149.6) and β-damascenone (rOAV=47.6) were identified as key aroma drivers. Ancient tea plants showed elevated ester-catechins (222.76 mg/g), caffeine (46.65 mg/g), and gallic acid (3.90 mg/g), with strong positive correlations to bitterness, astringency, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (r=0.83-0.93, p<0.05).

Conclusion

This study establishes the first flavor chemical fingerprint for ancient tea plants and clarifies quality differentiation mechanisms from cultivated elite cultivars. The identified key metabolites link flavor enhancement to hypoglycemic potential, providing scientific evidence for resource authentication, process optimization, and functional product development. Future research should expand sample sizes and explore molecular regulatory networks of key metabolites.

Published in:Food Chemistry X,
Study Type:Comparative Analytical Study,
Source: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102408, PMID: 40264443