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To explore the effect of room temperature storage on the flavor quality and biochemical composition of flower and fruit scented black tea, this study compared the sensory flavor quality of flower and fruit scented black tea produced in the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and stored at room temperature, and it detected volatile and non-volatile compounds in the tea by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Orbitrap-MS). The results showed that the sensory quality of flower and fruit scented black tea was significantly affected by storage at room temperature, and the tea lost its floral and fruity aroma characteristics after three years of storage at room temperature; its quality characteristic was mature sour taste. The tea samples were divided into four groups of age by principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Totally 15 volatile differential compounds such as linalool, cis-β-ocimene, and hexanoic acid (VIP > 1 and P 2 and P < 0.05) were selected by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The content of volatile compounds such as linalool, hexanal, cis-β-ocimene, and 2-pentylfuran decreased with increasing storage time, while the contents of hexanoic acid, dihydroactinidolide 1-ethyl-2-formyl-1H-pyrrole, and β-ionone increased. The contents of non-volatile compounds such as most amino acids, nucleotides, sugars, tea polyphenols tended to decrease with increasing storage time, while the contents of organic acids and lipids showed an increasing trend. The results obtained from this study can provide a scientific basis for elucidating the quality changes of flower and fruit scented black tea during storage and help guide its rational storage and scientific consumption.

This study investigated the changes in the aroma of jasmine tea during storage. Solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME)–gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE)-GC-MS were combined to detect all volatile compounds. GC-olfactometry (GC-O), odor activity value (OAV), and p-value were employed to analyze and identify the key aroma compounds in six jasmine tea samples stored for different durations. Nine key aroma compounds were discovered, namely (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, methyl anthranilate, methyl salicylate, trans-β-ionone, linalool, geraniol, (Z)-4-heptenal, benzoic acid methyl ester, and benzoic acid ethyl ester. The importance of these compounds was confirmed through the aroma addition experiment. Correlation analysis showed that (Z)-4-heptenal might be the main reason for the increase in the stale aroma of jasmine tea. Through sensory evaluation and specific experimental analysis, it can be concluded that jasmine tea had the best aroma after 3 years of storage, and too long a storage time may cause the overall aroma of the tea to weaken and produce an undesirable odor. The findings can provide a reference for the change in aroma during the storage of jasmine tea and provide the best storage time (3 years) in terms of jasmine tea aroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roasting is a key process in the production of large-leaf yellow tea (LYT). In this study, we synthesized metabolomics and electronic-tongue analysis to compare the quality of charcoal-roasted, electric-roasted and drum-roasted LYT. Charcoal-roasted LYT had the highest yellowness and redness, drum-roasted LYT had a more prominent umami and brightness, and electric roasting reduced astringency. A total of 48 metabolites were identified by metabolomics. Among these, leucocyanidin, kaempferol, luteolin-7-lactate, and apigenin-7- O -neohesperidoside might affect the brightness and yellowness. Theanine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid contents significantly and positively correlated with umami levels, and the high retention of flavonoid glycosides and catechins in drum-roasted LYT contributed to its astringency. These findings elucidate the contribution of the roasting method to the quality of LYT and provide a theoretical basis for LYT production., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The harvest date is a crucial factor in determining tea quality. For Lu'an Guapian (LAGP) tea, Grain Rain period (GRP) represents a pivotal phase in the transformation of tea quality. The sensory evaluation, computer vision and E -tongue revealed that the liquor color score, B and G values of tea infusion were increased during GRP, while the astringency, bitterness intensities and the R value of the tea infusion were decreased. Consequently, the tea infusion exhibited a greener hue and the taste became appropriate during GRP. Non-targeted metabolomics revealed that the majority of amino acids and derivatives was reduced during GRP. Furthermore, flavonoids, in particular flavonol glycosides, exhibited considerable variation during GRP. Finally, nine metabolites were identified as markers for quality transformation during GRP by PLS and Random Forest. This study investigated the quality of LAGP teas during GRP and filled the gap in the variation of LAGP tea quality during GRP., Competing Interests: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Flower scenting is an effective way to enhance the aroma of green tea (GT), including those osmanthus scented green tea (OSGT). However, the mechanism of aroma enhancement by scenting is still unclear. Here, the volatiles of GT, OSGT, and osmanthus were detected by GC-MS. The total volatile content of OSGT was significantly increased compared to GT, with the flowery and coconut aromas enhanced. Furthermore, 17 of 139 volatiles were responsible for the enhancement by GC-olfactometry and their absolute odor activity values (OAVs). Aroma recombination, omission and addition experiments showed that dihydro- β -ionone, (E) - β -ionone, (E, E) -2,4-heptadienal, geraniol, linalool, α -ionone, and γ -decalactone were the key aroma volatiles with flowery or coconut aromas. Additionally, the dynamics of the key volatiles (OAVs >1) from different scenting durations were analyzed, proving that the optimal duration was 6-12 h. This study provides new insight into the mechanism of aroma formation during OSGT production., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Piling fermentation (PF) is crucial for Pu-erh tea aroma, yet its microbial and moist-heat impact on aroma quality is poorly understood. Solid-phase microextraction, solvent-assisted flavor evaporation, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to detected and analyses the samples of sun-green green tea, sterile PF and spontaneous PF. Microbiological action promotes the formation of stale aromas. Moist-heat action promotes the formation of plum-fragrance and sweet aroma. 20 microbial markers and 28 moist-heat markers were screened from 184 volatile components. Combining odor activity values and gas chromatography-olfactometry, 22 aroma-active compounds were screened (1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene, linalool, 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene …), and analyzed during PF processing. Aroma omission and addition experiments verified its importance. Gallic acid addition experiments successfully verified that microorganisms are the main contributors to the synthesis of methoxybenzenes. Finally, Blastobotrys, Rasamsonia , and Thermomyces showed positive correlation with the synthesis of 1-ethyl-4-methoxybenzene, 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, 1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene, and 1,2-dimethoxybenzene. The formation mechanism of Pu-erh tea's aroma was clarified. Exploring microbial and moist-heat effects on Pu-erh tea volatiles and understanding the methoxybenzene formation mechanism using molecular sensory science., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

The quality of green tea deteriorates the longer it is stored. However, there is a lack of accurate and rapid methods for determining the storage period of tea. In this study, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was used to determine the storage period of green teas stored at 4 °C (set 1) and 25 °C (set 2), and to quantify and visualize the main chemical components (e.g. catechins). In this study, three prediction algorithms were compared, in which partial least squares discriminant analysis outperformed the other models in qualitative discrimination, with 98% and 96% correct discrimination for two sets, respectively. Moreover, quantitative models for ester catechins, simple catechins, and total catechins were developed with Rp > 0.90 and RPD > 1.0, indicating that the models were reliable. Further, a more intuitive visualization of catechin content was achieved. In conclusion, the HSI provides a rapid, non-destructive method to determine the freshness of stored green tea., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Lu'an Guapian (LAGP) tea is one of the most famous teas in China. However, research on its suitable processing varieties is still lacking. This study analyzed the quality of LAGP tea made from three different tea varieties, namely, ' Anhui1 ' (AH1), ' Quntizhong ' (QTZ), and ' Shuchazao ' (SCZ), using molecular sensory science and metabolomics techniques. The results showed that AH1 had a strong floral aroma and the strongest umami flavor, while QTZ had a distinct roasted aroma and a mellow taste. SCZ had a cooked corn-like aroma and the highest bitterness and astringency owing to the high tea polyphenol contents and low free amino acid contents. The study also identified 12 key aroma-active compounds, with trans - beta -ionone and 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethyl-pyrazine contributing the most to floral and roasted aromas, respectively. The results of this study provide a theoretical and practical basis for selecting and breeding high-quality varieties of LAGP tea and stabilizing its quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)