Directed Accumulation of Nitrogen Metabolites through Processing Endows Wuyi Rock Tea with Singular Qualities |
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| Authors: | Yang Liu Zuopin Zhuo Jing Tian Bei Liu Chen Shi Ruineng Xu Zilong Guo Baoshun Liu Jianghua Ye Shian He Wenchun Yang Maoxing Xu Lili Sun Hong Liao |
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| Institution: | 1.Root Biology Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (Y.L.); (Z.Z.); (J.T.); (B.L.); (C.S.); (R.X.); (Z.G.); (H.L.);2.Wuyi Mountain Tea Industry Research Institute, Wuyishan 354303, China; (B.L.); (J.Y.); (M.X.);3.Fulian (Wuyishan) Tea Industry Co., Ltd., Wuyishan 354303, China;4.Wuyishan Shouxi Tea Industry Co., Ltd., Wuyishan 354303, China; |
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| Abstract: | The execution of specific processing protocols endows Wuyi rock tea with distinctive qualities produced through signature metabolic processes. In this work, tea leaves were collected before and after each of three processing stages for both targeted and untargeted metabolomic analysis. Metabolic profiles of processing stages through each processing stage of rotation, pan-firing and roasting were studied. Overall, 614 metabolites were significantly altered, predominantly through nitrogen- enriching (N) pathways. Roasting led to the enrichment of 342 N metabolites, including 34 lipids, 17 organic acids, 32 alkaloids and 25 amino acids, as well as secondary derivatives beneficial for tea quality. This distinctive shift towards enrichment of N metabolites strongly supports concluding that this directed accumulation of N metabolites is how each of the three processing stages endows Wuyi rock tea with singular quality. |
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| Keywords: | process tea quality N-contained metabolites metabolome Wuyi rock tea |
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