The development of insertion‒deletion (InDel) markers provides a valuable tool for genetic and genomic studies in tea (Camellia sinensis) plants. In this study, 4,370,229 InDel markers were identified through genome resequencing of Lingtou Dancong (BY) and Shuixian 7 (SX7). Transcriptome based on RNA sequencing revealed differential expression of 1,125 genes involved in plant-pathogen interaction pathways. Based on genome resequencing of the two tea varieties with a shared genetic background and RNA-seq dataset for post-anthracnose infection, molecular markers for anthracnose resistance in tea plants were developed by identifying specific InDels within the disease resistance-associated interval. The InDel marker linked to anthracnose resistance was located at 123,508,930 bp on chromosome Chr10. Tea plants with DNA bands of 590-bp or heterozygous bands amplified by the primer were resistant to the disease, while those with 431-bp bands were susceptible. When tested across 206 different tea varieties, the Indel marker CsRc demonstrated an 88.59

Tea anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum camelliae, significantly impacts tea production. During the plant disease resistance process, the accumulation of reactive oxygen(ROS) species causes oxidative damage, while defensive enzymes enhance resistance by scavenging ROS. Modern omics technologies can systematically analyze the gene regulatory network and metabolic response mechanism of tea plants in response to pathogen infection. Leaves of Camellia sinensis from South China Agricultural University’s germplasm nursery were inoculated with C. camelliae, a pathogen isolated, purified, and confirmed via morphological/molecular identification. Sporulation conditions for this anthracnose pathogen were optimized, with a culture medium containing KH₂PO₄, NaH₂PO₄, and NaHCO₃ demonstrating enhanced sporulation capacity. Significant differences in defense enzyme activities-superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase were observed between resistant cultivar 'Shuixian 7' and susceptible 'Lingtou Dancong' under anthracnose stress. While both materials exhibited similar response trends, 'Shuixian 7' displayed more intense and rapid changes. Metabolome sequencing at 1 and 5 days post-inoculation (dpi) in anthracnose revealed hundreds of differential metabolites in 'Shuixian 7' compared to 'Lingtou Dancong', with flavonoids constituting the predominant class. Specifically, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-galactoside, and quercetin-3-O-sophoroside were significantly upregulated, whereas acacetin, luteolin, apigenin-7-O-neohesperidoside, and apigenin-6-C-glucoside were downregulated. In vitro antifungal assays confirmed that quercetin exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on C. camelliae among eight tested metabolites at equivalent concentrations. RNA-Seq analysis of infection five infection time-points identified differential genes primarily enriched in metabolic pathways and plant-pathogen interactions. Analysis established a critical link between defense enzymes and reactive oxygen species during biotic stress. Seven Rboh genes were identified from the C. sinensis genome, with bioinformatic characterization revealing CsRbohC as highly expressed in transcriptomic data. Based on the experimental results with pathogen-resistant 'Shuixian 7' and susceptible 'Lingtou Dancong' tea materials inoculated with C. camelliae, significant differences were observed in defense enzyme activities and metabolomic profiles, where flavonoid metabolites were markedly enriched in 'Shuixian 7'; transcriptome analysis further revealed key enrichment in plant-pathogen interaction pathways. Additionally, bioinformatics screening of the CsRboh gene family highlighted CsRbohC as a highly expressed regulator during biotic stress.

As a potential raw material with a variety of bioactive compounds, Pu-erh raw tea can produce rich flavor and health benefits through natural fermentation or microbial fermentation in traditional processing. However, the traditional fermentation process has some problems such as a long fermentation period and unstable quality. Monascus, a kind of fungus used in both medicine and food, has been proved to have many beneficial effects such as lowering cholesterol and regulating blood lipids. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether the fermentation of mixed monascus could significantly improve the flavor quality and lipid-lowering activity of Pu-erh raw tea. We added four kinds of monascus to unfermented Pu-erh raw tea (UT) to obtain a fermented Pu-erh raw tea (FT). The quality of the two tea samples was determined and an in vitro lipid-lowering experiment was conducted. The results show that the contents of water extractives, flavone, trans-catechins (GCG and CG), theabrownins, and caffeine in FT are significantly higher than those in UT, increasing by 19.41%, 14.47%, 18.76%, 29.82%, and 10.67%, respectively. In terms of aroma, linalool was the characteristic compound of UT, presenting a floral note. D-Limonene was the key characteristic substance of FT, manifested as lemon, toast, and wood. In terms of taste, FT has a high content of bitter amino acids and caffeine, a low content of catechins, and is rich in carbohydrate substances, forming a characteristic mild and mellow slightly bitter taste with reduced astringency. In addition, the relative contents of active substances with lipid-lowering effects such as quercetin, quercitrin, ascorbic acid, and sorbitol in FT were higher than those in UT, increasing by 83.09%, 81.73%, 89.86%, and 92.76%, respectively. The effect of FT on regulating cellular lipid metabolism was superior to UT based on cell experiments. The research results provide a scientific basis for the deep processing and functional development of Pu-erh raw tea.

The undertaking of distant hybridization holds paramount significance for the innovation of tea germplasm resources and the cultivation of superior, specialized tea varieties. However, challenges manifest during the process of tea plant distant hybridization breeding, with reproductive barriers impeding the successful acquisition of hybrid progeny; the precise stages at which these barriers occur remain unclear. In this study, utilizing Camellia sinensis cv. Jinxuan as the maternal parent, as well as C. gymnogyna Chang and C. sinensis cv. Yinghong No.9 as the paternal parents, interspecific distant hybridization (DH) and intraspecific hybridization (IH) were conducted. The investigation involved the observation of pollen germination and pollen tube behavior on the stigma, the scrutiny of the developmental dynamics of the ovary post-hybridization, and the examination of the stages and reasons for reproductive disorders during tea tree distant hybridization. The findings indicate that both IH and DH exhibit pre-fertilization barriers. The pre-embryonic development of hybrids obtained from DH is normal, but there is a significant fruit drop during the stage of fruit development. The germination rate of mature seeds obtained from DH is low, and there are pronounced post-fertilization disorders, which are the primary reasons for the difficulty in achieving successful tea plant distant hybridization. An analysis of the genetic variation in phenotypes and chemical components in the progeny after distant hybridization revealed widespread variation and rich genetic diversity. The identification of progeny with a high amino acid and caffeine content holds promise for future production and breeding, providing valuable theoretical references for the selection of parents in the creation of low-caffeine-content tea germplasm resources.

Citrus peel is a commonly used food-medicine material in the production of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs). For instance, Ganpu tea is manufactured by combining the peel of Citri Reticulatae “Chachi” (PCRC) with Pu-erh tea. The alleviated irritation of PCRC through years of aging makes Citri reticulatae Pericarpium a traditional Chinese medicine. Herein, we introduced short-term steaming into the processing of PCRC to favor the quick removal of its irritation while retaining its food-medicine properties. Sensory evaluation and volatile component analysis showed that 60-s steaming reduced irritation of freshly prepared PCRC. Biological evaluations indicated no effects of steaming on the neuroprotective activity of PCRC. The process increased the contents of several bioactive ingredients, including hesperidin, nobiletin, tangeretin, and synephrine. In addition, physical indications of accelerating PCRC aging were observed. Taken together, our findings suggest that short-term steaming may offer a promising new possibility for enhancing the quality of citrus peel.

This study focuses on the reproductive barriers of distant hybridization in Camellia sinensis and the characteristics of its hybrid offspring. As a crop with significant economic value, the leaves of Camellia sinensis are not only widely popular for making tea but also have various health benefits. However, although wild tea germplasm resources have unique functional components, their processing quality is often not satisfactory. To improve tea plant varieties, this study employs distant hybridization techniques to break through species boundaries and increase genetic variation, with the aim of cultivating new varieties with superior quality. In this study, utilizing Camellia sinensis cv. Jinxuan as the maternal parent, C. gymnogyna Chang and C. sinensis cv. Yinghong No.9 as the paternal parents, interspecific distant hybridization (DH) and intraspecific hybridization (IH) were conducted. The study found that the pollen tubes of the distant hybridization combinations (DH) grew rapidly in the early stages after pollination, but their growth was hindered upon reaching the base of the style, making it difficult to combine with the ovules to complete fertilization. Despite the barriers, some pollen tubes successfully fertilized, and the early stages of embryo development were normal after fertilization. However, the high rate of fruit drop and low seed germination rate in the distant hybrid offspring limited the success of distant hybridization. A study of the phenotype and biochemical components of 30 offspring obtained from successful distant hybridization revealed that the offspring exhibited rich genetic diversity in both phenotype and biochemical composition. Although distant hybridization has a certain degree of affinity, the problem of fruit drop in the later stages severely affects the success of hybridization. To obtain more distant hybrid offspring, it is recommended to adopt embryo rescue techniques. This study not only provides important theoretical and practical basis for the distant hybridization of tea plants but also offers new ideas and methods for improving tea plant varieties and enhancing the economic benefits of tea production. Through in-depth research on the distant hybrid offspring, it is expected to cultivate new tea varieties with better quality and stronger adaptability.

The level of consumption of summer tea is a problem in the development of China’s tea industry. Current strategies to enhance the quality of summer and autumn teas primarily target the cultivation environment, with less emphasis on processing improvements. This study aimed to optimize the fermentation parameters to impact the quality of summer and autumn teas. We screened four strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) suitable for tea fermentation and determined their optimal mix. This optimized blend was applied to ferment summer and autumn teas. Through single-factor experiments, we evaluated the impact of various processing parameters, including the fixation method, rolling degree, inoculation amount, glucose concentration, fermentation temperature, and fermentation duration, on LAB growth and tea quality. The optimal processing conditions were established as microwave fixation, heavy rolling, an inoculation rate of 1.8% LAB, glucose addition at 8.8%, and fermentation at 36.5 °C for five days. Analysis revealed that the fermentation process significantly reduced the levels of polyphenols and ester-type catechins, which are associated with astringency and bitterness while enhancing the content of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Specifically, after five days, polyphenol content decreased by 26.89%, and GABA levels increased from 0.051 mg/g to 0.126 mg/g. The predominant aroma compounds in the fermented tea were alcohols with floral and fruity scents, constituting 54.63% of the total aroma profile. This research presents a methodical approach to reduce the astringency and bitterness of summer and autumn teas while concurrently increasing GABA levels.

First report of bacteria Paenarthrobacter nitroguajacolicus for effective control of cucumber corynespora leaf spot and promotion of cucumber growth. ● P. nitroguajacolicus strain BJ-5 is well-adapted for biocontrol being tolerant of saline environments. ● P. nitroguajacolicus produces a variety of secondary metabolites that promote plant growth. Currently, the disease control in cucumber mainly depends on agrochemicals, which is not an environmentally benign strategy. Biocontrol bacteria not only resist plant pathogens but also promote plant growth, which is ecofriendly and sustainable option. A biocontrol bacterial strain BJ-5 was screened using Corynespora cassiicola as the target pathogen, and BJ-5 was determined to be Paenarthrobacter nitroguajacolicus by morphological and molecular methods. The effect of BJ-5 on C. cassiicola was studied, including the spore germination, cell membrane permeability and infected cucumbers. BJ-5 inhibited the germination of C. cassiicola spores in vitro and led to atrophy and deformation of the C. cassiicola budding tubes. BJ-5 caused the relative extracellular conductivity of C. cassiicola mycelia to increase compared with the control. Additionally, BJ-5 reduced the severity of cucumber corynespora leaf spot of cucumber infected with C. cassiicola. The inhibition efficacy of BJ-5 suspension as a foliar spray against cucumber corynespora leaf spot reached 63% inhibition, which is higher than a 5000-fold dilution of Luna-Son SC fungicide. In addition, BJ-5 was tested on the emergence of cucumber seedlings, recording the biomass and photosynthesis of cucumber during the growth period. BJ-5 at 1.5 × 105 CFU·mL−1 promoted the germination of cucumber seeds and increased biomass and photosynthesis at the adult plant stage. Also, the secondary metabolites of BJ-5 were determined. BJ-5 could produce chitinases, siderophore, cellulase, amylase and protease in the respective medium. Finally, adaptation assay of BJ-5 showed good salt tolerance and good adaptability in alkaline conditions, and that BJ-5 retains inhibition of fungi activity at higher temperatures. This is the first report of the biocontrol by P. nitroguajacolicus with antagonism to C. cassiicola and promote cucumber growth. This study indicates that P. nitroguajacolicus may serve as potential biocontrol agents against cucumber corynespora leaf spot fungus.

Oolong tea belongs to semifermented tea, which is popular for its unique aroma, and green-making is the key step of oolong tea aroma formation. o reduce the labor consumption of the traditional green-making method (TG), a fully automatic processing method -continuous low-speed green-making method (CG) is proposed. However, the differences in the chemical changes and quality development between the two methods remain unclear. Comparing the results of the two green-making methods, we found that the content of water extract, tea polyphenols, and catechins of the leaves decreased, with CG more than TG; free amino acid content increased, with CG more so than TG; purine alkaloid content remained stable. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis found that the aroma components of CG changed less than TG during the green-making period. Combined with the sensory evaluation results, it shows that CG is a new technology suitable for oolong tea processing. Novelty impact statement TG and CG showed similar overall change chemical changes; however, the degrees of these changes differed. The sensory evaluation score of continuous low-speed green-making method (CG) oolong was slightly higher than TG. Continuous low-speed green-making method (CG) is a new technology suitable for oolong tea processing and has a good application prospect.

In order to solve the problems of complicated greening process and high labor intensity at source, a new fully automatic greening process was adopted in this study, which caused mechanical damage to tea leaves by slowly and continuously rolling or vibrating the tea leaves at a low speed, resulting in various biochemical reactions and gradually forming its unique quality and flavor. We determined the major chemical constituents and quality differences of Baiye dancong from five traditional green-making sessions (4 min per rotating and 1.5 h of setting) and 7.5 h of low-speed green-making (1.84 r/min) using a rotating machine with a drum length/diameter ratio of 1.5 m/0.7 m (sampling every 1.5 h). The results showed that: In the same number of green-making, the sensory quality of oolong tea under low-speed green-making was better than that of CT. The peak of water extract content was 25.33%, it occurred after withering and decreased with the increasing of the number of green-making. During the traditional greening process, the content of tea polyphenols increased first and then decreased, with a peak of 19.71% at CT4. On the contrary, the peak occurd at LX1 with 17.92%.The free amino acid content of traditional greening reached a peak of 2.42% in CT3 and 2.61% in LX2. The total amount of catechin increased in the early stage of withering and shaking in both processes and decreases in the later stage of shaking. The aroma substances of oolong tea differed greatly under the two processes, with higher aroma substances of terpene alcohols in CT1 and CT2, while the heterocyclic aroma substances were higher in LX4 tea sample under the new process. The expression of PPO and β-G related genes increased with the increasing of the number of greening and was highest at LX4. Combined with the results of sensory evaluation, it showed that continuous low-speed green-making would be a new technology for oolong tea processing.

Tea (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis) is a widely consumed caffeine-containing beverage, however the Camellia genus also includes other species, which are consumed as tea in their local growing regions. Presently, HPLC analysis assessed 126 unique Camellia germplasms belonging to three Camellia species, C. sinensis var. pubilimba Chang (Csp), C. gymnogyna Chang (CgC) and C. crassicolumna Chang (CcC). Theobromine was the predominant purine alkaloid in all species, representing over 90% of purine alkaloids in Csp and CgC, and 50% in CcC. Significant variability existed in purine alkaloid patterns both between and within species, and some germplasms possessed highly unique alkaloid profiles. Sensory evaluation and quality composition analysis of green tea products produced from the three Camellia species suggested their unsuitability for use in tea production due to their unpalatable flavor. The results of this study revealed the differences in purine alkaloids and main quality components between Camellia species and tea, which contributed to understand why tea, rather than other Camellia species, has become a popular beverage in the world after long-term artificial selection. In addition, unique alkaloid profiles suggest usefulness of these germplasm resources in future breeding of decaffeinated tea plant varieties and alkaloid metabolism research.

Summary Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) plays an important role in tea production, and there are many studies on the enzymatic synthesis of theaflavins using PPO; however, using a purified PPO isozyme (PPOI) instead of a crude PPO enzyme to obtain monomeric theaflavin in vitro is a novel approach that has rarely been previously reported. In the present study, a tea PPOI was purified and used for the enzymatic synthesis of theaflavin monomers. Tea leaf PPOI was purified 12.90‐fold, with recovery yield of 1.30% via the sequential use of precipitation with 30%−80% saturated (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , Q‐Sepharose Fast Flow anion exchange chromatography and Sephadex G‐75 gel filtration chromatography. Subsequently, PPOI was used in the enzymatic synthesis of theaflavins: under various pH, temperatures, reaction times and catechin substrate composition and concentration, only the amount of theaflavin components produced was changed, and no other theaflavin component apart from the theaflavin monomer was produced. These results highlight the importance of monomeric theaflavin synthesis using purified PPOI isozyme and provide insight into PPO in the context of tea production.

为研究茶树远缘杂交生物碱和儿茶素的遗传变异规律,以金萱(Camellia sinensis cv.Jinxuan)×南昆山毛叶茶(Camellia ptilophylla Chang)及其远缘杂交育成的64份F1代全同胞系茶树为材料,采用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)检测双亲和F1代个体的生物碱和儿茶素组分含量,运用了相关分析、聚类分析和主成分分析等方法,以及相对遗传力和杂种优势等遗传理论分析.结果表明,F1代咖啡碱含量(CAF)和生物碱总量(SCT)之间存在极显著相关的一元线性回归方程:YSCT=0.565+1.062XCAF;基于可可碱和咖啡碱含量,F1代在遗传距离6.0处分为四大类群,第Ⅰ、第Ⅲ类群区别于父母本,第Ⅱ类群与母本相似,未出现与父本相似的个体;可可碱表现出倾向于母本的负向显性遗传,咖啡碱/可可碱表现出倾向于母本的正向显性遗传,生物碱总量表现出倾向于父本的正向显性遗传.南昆山毛叶茶(♂)主要儿茶素的含量依次为:GCG>GC>EGCG>EC>ECG>C>CG;金萱(♀)主要儿茶素的含量依次为:EGCG>C>CG>EC>GC>GCG>ECG;F1代儿茶素组分中变异系数最大的为CG(56.04％),变异系数最小的为EGCG(19.28％);EGCG、EC、TEC表现出倾向于母本的正向显性遗传,GCG表现出倾向于母本的负向显性遗传,CG表现出倾向于父本的负向显性遗传.

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) agroecosystem soil acidification (TASA) is occurring at epidemic rates relative to other crops, however TASA remains poorly defined in its pathogenesis and effects on soil microbiota. The present study examined bulk soil physicochemical and bacterial 16S rDNA sequence data to elucidate TASA-associated changes through 10 tea agroecosystem sites, including an organic-certified tea field chronosequence of 3-year- (Young), 8-year- (Middle), and 13-year-old (Old) plots. Soil pH declined linearly with age through chronosequence plots. Hierarchical clustering based on community beta-diversity revealed a tipping point in community composition as soil acidified below pH 4.5, which had occurred between Middle and Old plots. Tipping point-associated changes in predicted community functionality included a precipitous decline in nitrogenase-encoding communities and concurrent proliferations of Al-detoxifiers, anti-oxidative specialists, and pathogen virulence factor-encoding communities. PERMANOVA modeling revealed that Streptomyces was the genus with population abundance corresponding most significantly with whole microbiome composition at both OTU- (r2 = 0.460, p < 0.001) and genus-levels (r2 = 0.512, p < 0.001), despite ranking 74th in total abundance among 186 core genera, providing computationally-modeled evidence of a keystone role of Streptomyces under tea agroecosystem conditions. Correlations of soil pH with Rhizobiales (r = 0.713, p < 0.001), Acidibacter (r = -0.717, p < 0.001), and predicted beta-glucosidase-encoding communities (r = -0.622, p < 0.001) across all samples indicated potential utility as community-level TASA biomarkers. Moreover, two phylogenetically diverse OTU co-abundance modules also corresponded (p < 0.01) with soil pH across all samples, suggesting that TASA-induced shifts were interfaced by networks of diverse and interactive taxa, or keystone guilds. Presently, organic management per se was unable to retain soil pH within the optimal range for tea plant cultivation (pH 4.5-5.5), therefore additional considerations not currently encompassed by organic management guidelines, such as lower tea planting density, may be necessary to avoid the detrimental effects of soil acidification described above. Moreover, future studies may seek to further elucidate the keystone functions of Streptomyces spp. under tea agroecosystem conditions.

本研究从潮州野生茶树资源中发现了以可可碱为优势生物碱的种质资源14份,可可碱含量在29.87～55.94 mg/g,其优势儿茶素为GCG,含量在20.99～42.21 mg/g,未检测到EGC和ECG.这14份茶树种质资源在生物碱及儿茶素特征上与'南昆山毛叶茶'较为相似,可能为茶种近缘植物或天然杂交种,具有极大的开发潜力;其余11份资源以咖啡碱为优势生物碱,其优势儿茶素单体为EGCG,含量在43.54～96.89 mg/g,可能为茶种.在特异生化成分种质资源方面,发现高咖啡碱资源1份(含量56.64 mg/g)、高可可碱资源5份(Tb>50 mg/g)、高EGCG茶树资源1份(含量96.86 mg/g)和高EGC茶树资源2份(EGC>30 mg/g),可为相关茶树品种的选育提供基础.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is an important crop that is mainly used in the food industry. This study using the metabolome and microbiome investigates the resistance factors of wild tea plant resources against tea gray blight disease, which is caused by Pestalotiopsis theae (Sawada) Steyaert. According to the interaction analysis of tea leaves and pathogenic fungus, the resistance of wild tea plant resource “R1” (Resistance 1) to tea gray blight disease was significantly higher than that of wild tea plant resource “S1” (Susceptibility 1). The difference between “R1” and “S1” in the metabolome was obvious. There were 145 metabolites that significantly changed. The phenolic acids and flavonoids were the major increased categories in “R1,” and it included 4-O-glucosyl-sinapate and petunidin-3-o-(6”-o-p-coumaroyl) rutinoside. Six metabolic pathways were significantly enriched, including aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, flavone, and flavonol biosynthesis. In terms of bacteria, there was no significant difference between “S1” and “R1” in the principal component analysis (PCA). Pseudomonas was the major bacterial genus in “S1” and “R1.” In addition, each of the two resources had its own predominant genus: Cellvibirio was a predominant bacterial genus in “S1” and Candidatus_competibacter was a predominant bacterial genus in “R1.” In terms of fungi, the fungal diversity and the abundance of the two tea plant resource samples could be distinguished clearly. The fungal component of “S1” was more abundant than that of “R1” at the genus level. Toxicocladosporium was the predominant fungal genus of “S1,” and Filobasidium was the predominant fungal genus of “R1.” The relative abundance of unclassified-norank-norank-Chloroplast and Penicillium were significantly different between “S1” and “R1.” Penicillium was identified as a potential biomarker. They correlated with some metabolites enriched in “S1” or “R1,” such as L-arginine and quercetin-3-o-(2”-o-rhamnosyl) rutinoside-7-o-glucoside. Overall, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and Penicillium could be functional metabolites or microorganisms that contributed to improving the resistance of wild tea plant resources to tea gray blight disease.

In the present study, purine alkaloid analysis and transcriptome of Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) from Dayao Mountain were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and RNA-Seq, respectively. The results showed that the major purine alkaloids accumulated in Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) were theobromine together with a small amount of theacrine and caffeine. Through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), three types of cDNA encoding N-methyltransferases were isolated from the leaves of Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) and designated GCS1, GCS2, and GCS3. We subsequently expressed GCS1, GCS2, and GCS3 in Escherichia coli and incubated lysates of the bacterial cells with a variety of xanthine substrates in the presence of S-adenosyl-L-methionine as the methyl donor. We found that the recombinant GCS1 proteins catalyzed 1,3,7-trimethyluric acid to produce theacrine, the recombinant GCS3 proteins catalyzed 7-methylxanthine to produce theobromine, while the recombinant GCS2 proteins did not catalyze any xanthine derivatives. Simultaneous analysis of the expressions of GCS1, GCS2, GCS3, and a caffeine synthase gene (TCS1) in Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) and other tea plants provided a reference for further research on the functions of these genes.

Ganpu tea is a novel type of tea beverage with unique and pleasant flavor that encases Pu-erh tea leaves within an intact mandarin peel. However, to date, no holistic and detail studies on its chemical composition and biological activities have been reported yet. In the present study, by applying UPLC-Q-TOF and UPLC-MS technology, we systematically identified and analyzed 104 water-soluble compounds of Ganpu tea and their variation trend during the sun-drying processing. The results showed that the generation of pigments and gallic acid coincided with a dramatic decrease in catechin content, and a significant increase in alkaloid and flavonoid contents. The conversion of these compounds can contribute to the improvement of sensory attributes of Ganpu tea and maybe indispensable to its unique flavor. Moreover, the mice given orally with high dose of Ganpu tea (0.4 g/kg) showed a significantly reduced immobility duration as compared to that of the negative control group ( p < 0.01) both in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test. Together, these results indicate that the sun-drying processing was indispensable to the formation of the unique flavor for Ganpu tea. Multiple types of compounds of Ganpu tea may collectively provide the synergistic attributes to its antidepressant-like properties.

[目的]探明黔南州当地茶树资源的生化特性及其利用价值,为都匀毛尖茶的品质鉴定优质特色资源开发提供依据.[方法]选择贵定县贵定鸟王种、惠水县惠水种、平塘县平塘种、都匀市团山种于春夏秋3个季节采摘一芽2叶,按照都匀毛尖机械制茶工艺加工后进行生化指标测定.[结果]春茶水浸出物、氨基酸、黄酮、叶绿素、生物碱等含量平均值均高于2个春茶对照样(江苏省和安徽省产名优绿茶);春、夏、秋3个季节水浸出物平均值分别为43.00％、38.93％和37.33％,茶多酚为28.61％、31.21％和28.64％,氨基酸为3.28％、2.27％和2.13％,黄酮为0.62％、0.67％和0.65％,可溶性糖为2.52％、2.53％和2.32％,叶绿素为3.41 mg/g、2.12mg/g和2.87 mg/g,生物碱总量为4.39％、4.61％和3.81％,儿茶素为14.08％、13.50％和13.48％.[结论]黔南州4个品种茶叶加工都匀毛尖内含物质含量较为丰富,春茶生化成分含量总体优于夏茶和秋茶,不同茶叶种所制都匀毛尖成分含量各有特点.