Aluminum (Al) influences crop yield in acidic soil. The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) has high Al tolerance with abundant monomeric catechins in its leaves, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and polymeric proanthocyanidins in its roots (rPA). The role of these polyphenols in the Al resistance of tea plants is unclear. In this study, we observed that these polyphenols could form complexes with Al in vitro, and complexation capacity was positively influenced by high solution pH (pH 5.8), polyphenol type (rPA and EGCG), and high Al concentration. In the 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment, rPA-Al and EGCG-Al complex signals could be detected both in vitro and in vivo. The rPA-Al and EGCG-Al complexes were detected in roots and old leaves, respectively, of both greenhouse seedlings and tea garden plants. Furthermore, in seedlings, Al accumulated in roots and old leaves and mostly existed in the apoplast in binding form. These results indicate that the formation of complexes with tea polyphenols in vivo plays a vital role in Al resistance in the tea plant.
Keywords: Camellia sinensis; EGCG-aluminum complexes; old leaves; proanthocyanidins-aluminum complexes; root.