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Download fileNontargeted Analysis Using Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography–Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Uncovers the Effects of Harvest Season on the Metabolites and Taste Quality of Tea (Camellia sinensis L.)
journal contribution
posted on 2015-11-11, 00:00 authored by Weidong Dai, Dandan Qi, Ting Yang, Haipeng Lv, Li Guo, Yue Zhang, Yin Zhu, Qunhua Peng, Dongchao Xie, Junfeng Tan, Zhi LinThe
chemical composition and taste quality of tea fluctuate seasonally.
However, the compounds responsible for the seasonal variation of metabolic
pattern and taste quality are far from clear. This study compared
the metabolite profiles of green teas of nine varieties that were
plucked in spring, summer, and autumn by using ultraperformance liquid
chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry
(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) on a reversed phase column. A multivariate analysis
indicated distinct differences among the metabolite phenotypes of
teas harvested in different seasons. Heat-map analysis and metabolic
pathway analysis demonstrated that flavan-3-ols, theasinensins, procyanidins,
quercetin-O-glycosides, apigenin-C-glycosides, and amino acids exhibited sharp seasonal fluctuations.
An equivalent quantification of tea tastes showed that in summer and
autumn teas, the bitterness and astringency were significantly elevated,
whereas umami declined. Metabolite content comparisons and partial
least-squares analysis suggested that several flavonoids and amino
acids are mainly responsible for the seasonal variations in taste
quality.