Integration of non-targeted/targeted metabolomics and electronic sensor technology reveals the chemical and sensor variation in 12 representative yellow teas

Yuan Li; Yilong Li; Tian Xiao; Huimin Jia; Yu Xiao; Zhonghua Liu; Kunbo Wang; Mingzhi Zhu

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2023.101093

Integration of non-targeted/targeted metabolomics and electronic sensor technology reveals the chemical and sensor variation in 12 representative yellow teas

Food Chem X. 2023 Dec 26:21:101093. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.101093. eCollection 2024 Mar 30.

Authors

Yuan Li^{1

2}, Yilong Li¹, Tian Xiao¹, Huimin Jia¹, Yu Xiao³, Zhonghua Liu¹, Kunbo Wang¹, Mingzhi Zhu¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Functional Ingredients from Botanicals, Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
² Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Dark Tea and Jin-hua, Hunan City University, Yiyang 413000, China.
³ College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.

Abstract

Yellow tea is a lightly fermented tea with unique sensory qualities and health benefits. However, chemical composition and sensory quality of yellow tea products have rarely been studied. 12 representative yellow teas, which were basically covered the main products of yellow tea, were chosen in this study. Combined analysis of non-targeted/targeted metabolomics and electronic sensor technologies (E-eye, E-nose, E-tongue) revealed the chemical and sensor variation. The results showed that yellow big tea differed greatly from yellow bud teas and yellow little teas, but yellow bud teas could not be effectively distinguished from yellow little teas based on chemical constituents and electronic sensory characteristics. Sensor variation of yellow teas might be attributed to some compounds related to bitterness and aftertaste-bitterness (4'-dehydroxylated gallocatechin-3-O-gallate, dehydrotheasinensin C, myricitin 3-O-galactoside, phloroglucinol), aftertaste-astringency (methyl gallate, 1,5-digalloylglucose, 2,6-digalloylglucose), and sweetness (maltotriose). This study provided a comprehensive understanding of yellow tea on chemical composition and sensory quality.

Keywords: (-)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate (PubChem CID 107905); Caffeine (PubChem CID 2519); Electronic sensor technology; Gallic acid (PubChem CID 370); Multivariate analysis; Non-targeted metabolomics; Targeted metabolomics; Theanine (PubChem CID 439378); Theobromine (PubChem CID 5429); Theophylline (PubChem CID 2153); Yellow tea; epicatechin (PubChem CID 72276); epigallocatechin (PubChem CID 72277); epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (PubChem CID 65064); gallocatechin-3-O-gallate (PubChem CID 5276890).