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Tea Technology and Resource Utilization
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Tea Technology and Resource Utilization

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Drinks and Liquid Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 22 August 2025 | Viewed by 7845

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xinghui Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Interests: tea biology; tea quality evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yuhua Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Interests: tea biology; tea secondary metabolism; tea quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Over the years, great progress has been achieved in the studies of tea technology and resource utilization, such as the innovation and utilization of tea germplasm resources, regulation of secondary metabolism during tea plant growth and development, transformation of flavor components during tea processes, mechanism of tea processes and control of tea quality and safety, etc., ensuring the high-quality development of the tea industry. Further studies are needed to better understand and develop tea technology and resource utilization.

This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality studies that address the development strategies for and mechanism of tea technology and resource utilization, including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Synthesis and metabolism of flavor components during tea plant growth and development;
  2. Transformation of flavor components during tea processes;
  3. Control of tea quality and safety;
  4. Novel biotechnological strategies to create new resources, improve tea plant transformation and tea quality, and optimize tea processes.

Submissions include original research papers, reviews and short communications.

Prof. Dr. Xinghui Li
Dr. Yuhua Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tea
  • tea resource
  • tea technology
  • tea resource utilization
  • tea processing
  • tea secondary metabolism
  • tea quality
  • tea safety control

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 627 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Key Odorants During Processing of Minty-like Aroma ‘Rucheng Baimaocha’ Black Tea
by Jian Ouyang, Ronggang Jiang, Qi Liu, Hongyu Chen, Xiaoqin Yi, Yuzi Yang, Fangfang Huang, Juan Li, Haitao Wen, Ligui Xiong, Jianan Huang and Zhonghua Liu
Foods 2025, 14(11), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14111941 - 29 May 2025
Abstract
The characteristic minty-like aroma of ‘Rucheng Baimaocha’ black tea (RCBT) enhances the tea’s unique flavor profile, driving high demand among consumers. The dynamic changes in key aroma compounds in minty-like RCBT were elucidated by sensory evaluation and gas chromatography olfactometry quadrupole time of [...] Read more.
The characteristic minty-like aroma of ‘Rucheng Baimaocha’ black tea (RCBT) enhances the tea’s unique flavor profile, driving high demand among consumers. The dynamic changes in key aroma compounds in minty-like RCBT were elucidated by sensory evaluation and gas chromatography olfactometry quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-O-Q-TOF-MS). The results indicated that during processing, the aroma of RCBT transitions from a fresh to floral, sweet, and minty-like aroma. Among the 189 identified volatile compounds, alcohols constitute the predominant category (over 50%), with 71 compounds identified as key differential compounds across all stages. Aroma analysis revealed that 28 compounds with odor activity values (OAV) > 1 were the primary contributors during RCBT processing. Notably, minty-like odorants in RCBT were primarily derived from the metabolic pathways of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) and mevalonic acid (MVA), lipid oxidation, and phenylalanine. These findings offer theoretical insights for improving unique black tea quality and optimizing processing techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Technology and Resource Utilization)
18 pages, 5927 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Differences in Volatile Components of Rucheng Baimao (Camellia pubescens) Black Tea in Different Seasons
by Junye Zhu, Yuebin Zhou and Haitao Wen
Foods 2025, 14(5), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050763 - 24 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 520
Abstract
At present, there are few studies on seasonal differences in the aroma quality and volatile components of Rucheng Baimao (Camellia pubescens) black tea. In this study, sensory evaluation and volatile component analysis were carried out on one sample of Rucheng Baimao [...] Read more.
At present, there are few studies on seasonal differences in the aroma quality and volatile components of Rucheng Baimao (Camellia pubescens) black tea. In this study, sensory evaluation and volatile component analysis were carried out on one sample of Rucheng Baimao black tea corresponding to spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. The results of sensory evaluation showed that the black teas of all three seasons had floral aromas. However, the aroma quality of spring black tea was the best, followed by that of autumn black tea, and summer black tea was the worst. The analysis of volatile components showed that alcohols, esters, and alkanes were the main substance categories. In addition, the results of the aroma index were consistent with those of the sensory evaluation, indicating that spring black tea had the best aroma quality, followed by autumn black tea and then summer black tea. Eleven key differential volatile components were screened by combining PLS-DA analysis (VIP > 1, p < 0.05) and rOAV > 1. Among them, geraniol, methyl salicylate, nonanal, and (E)-citral accumulated the most in spring black tea, linalool, phenylacetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, phenethyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, and β-ionone accumulated the most in summer black tea, and trans-nerolidol accumulated the most in autumn black tea. This study aims to provide a theoretical reference for the regulation of the aroma quality of Rucheng Baimao black tea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Technology and Resource Utilization)
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15 pages, 1804 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Kinds of Fruit Juice on Flavor Quality and Hypoglycemic Activity of Black Tea
by Hongchun Cui, Yuxiao Mao, Yun Zhao, Weihong Huang and Jianyong Zhang
Foods 2025, 14(4), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14040588 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 708
Abstract
At present, the heavy bitter taste, poor flavor quality and low functional activity of summer and autumn tea are the bottleneck problems restricting the low utilization rate of summer and autumn tea resources. The research and development of new products of fruit-flavored black [...] Read more.
At present, the heavy bitter taste, poor flavor quality and low functional activity of summer and autumn tea are the bottleneck problems restricting the low utilization rate of summer and autumn tea resources. The research and development of new products of fruit-flavored black tea is conducive to expanding the utilization of summer and autumn tea resources. Different kinds of fruit juice were added during the fermentation and processing of classic black tea, such as bananas, apples, fragrant pear and Sydney pear, in this study. The effects of fruit juice on the flavor quality and amylase inhibitory activity of fruity black tea were researched. The sensory quality, flavor chemicals and α-amylase inhibitory activity were evaluated. The results showed that the sensory evaluation scores of black tea treated with fruit juice were significantly higher than those of black tea treated without fruit juice, especially the crown pear juice. The amylase inhibition rate of black tea treated with fruit juice was significantly higher than the control treated without fruit juice (p < 0.05). The sensory evaluation scores, polyphenol oxidase activity, water extract content, soluble sugar content, free amino acid content, theaflavin content, thearubigin content and inhibition rate of amylase activity of black tea treated with pear juice were significantly higher than those of the apple and banana juices (p < 0.05), especially crown pear juice. Tea polyphenol content and theaflavin content of black tea treated with added pear juice were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the black tea control treated with added apple juice and banana juice, especially crown pear juice. The fruity black tea treated with crown pear juice had a redder broth, more pronounced sweet fruit aroma, sweet and mellow taste and reduced astringency. Therefore, the black tea treated with crown pear juice was preferred. The research hopes to provide a theoretical basis for the research of black tea quality control and the research of summer and autumn tea resources utilization technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Technology and Resource Utilization)
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17 pages, 3951 KiB  
Article
Inhibitory Effect and Mechanism of Dancong Tea from Different Harvesting Season on the α-Glucosidase Inhibition In Vivo and In Vitro
by Rourou Wen, Xianghua Chai, Pingping Wang, Kegang Wu, Xuejuan Duan, Jiasi Chen, Tong Zhang and Liya Zeng
Foods 2024, 13(24), 4183; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13244183 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 994
Abstract
Tea polyphenols have been reported to decrease the rate of starch hydrolysis by inhibiting α-glucosidase. However, the effect of the tea harvesting season and the structure of catechin monomers on the inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase is not understood. In this study, the inhibitory [...] Read more.
Tea polyphenols have been reported to decrease the rate of starch hydrolysis by inhibiting α-glucosidase. However, the effect of the tea harvesting season and the structure of catechin monomers on the inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase is not understood. In this study, the inhibitory effect and underlying mechanism of four seasons of Dancong tea against α-glucosidase were investigated by in vivo and in vitro experiments, multi-spectroscope and molecular dynamic. The Dancong tea harvested in spring and winter showed a stronger inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase due to a higher content of catechin, especially EGCG ((-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate). The results of in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that EGCG and ECG ((-)-epicatechin-3-gallate) with a higher content of gallate and hydroxyl groups exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect on starch hydrolysis, rise of postprandial blood glucose and activities of α-glucosidase compared to EGC ((-)-epigallocatechin) and EC ((-)-epicatechin). These gallate and hydroxy groups were more effective in interacting with the amino acid residues in the active site of α-glucosidase, leading to structural changes in the enzyme. Certainly, the inhibitory effect of Dancong tea on α-glucosidase explains one of the mechanisms by which it helps alleviate diabetes; the other hypoglycaemic mechanisms of Dancong tea will be further explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Technology and Resource Utilization)
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18 pages, 2083 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Taste Quality Differences Between High and Low Grades of Ninghong Tea: From the Perspective of Sensory, Metabolite, and Taste Activity Values
by Cuinan Yue, Zhihui Wang, Hua Peng, Lianghui Jiang, Puxiang Yang and Wenjin Li
Foods 2024, 13(23), 3957; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13233957 - 8 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 963
Abstract
In this study, the taste quality difference between high (Ninghong-Jinhao tea, JH, unfolded fresh leaves) and low (Ninghong-Congou tea, CG, unfurled fresh leaves) grades of Ninghong tea (unique black tea) was analyzed from the perspective of sensory omics, non-targeted metabolomics, and chemical dose. [...] Read more.
In this study, the taste quality difference between high (Ninghong-Jinhao tea, JH, unfolded fresh leaves) and low (Ninghong-Congou tea, CG, unfurled fresh leaves) grades of Ninghong tea (unique black tea) was analyzed from the perspective of sensory omics, non-targeted metabolomics, and chemical dose. JH was characterized by sweetness and mellowness with umami, while CG was characterized by sweetness and thickness. A total of 94 differential metabolites contribute to the quality difference between two grades. Further quantitative analysis revealed that JH exhibited a high accumulation of amino acids, catechins, and theaflavins, while CG demonstrated a high accumulation of water extract, tea polyphenols, flavonol glycosides, and saccharides. Taste activity values (TAVs) analysis revealed that the key taste components of JH and CG were catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, three theaflavins, caffeine, myrictin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, and gallic acid. Among the identified compounds, the TAVs of five flavonol glycosides in Ninghong tea were found to be greater than 10 for the first time. This study is helpful to understand the taste quality difference between different grades of Ninghong tea from the molecular sensory level, providing a scientific foundation for quality improvement and targeted regulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Technology and Resource Utilization)
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21 pages, 6073 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Culture Conditions on Camellia sinensis Cell Cultures
by Pilar Esteban-Campos, Pilar Vela, Raquel Rodríguez-Solana, José Ignacio López-Sánchez, Carmen Salinero and Efrén Pérez-Santín
Foods 2024, 13(15), 2461; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152461 - 4 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2365
Abstract
Since the last century, it has been shown that dedifferentiated cells of Camellia sinensis can produce catechins and other secondary metabolites under in vitro conditions, with potential applications in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. In this work, cell suspension cultures of a [...] Read more.
Since the last century, it has been shown that dedifferentiated cells of Camellia sinensis can produce catechins and other secondary metabolites under in vitro conditions, with potential applications in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. In this work, cell suspension cultures of a C. sinensis cell line (LSC-5Y) were established in a liquid medium in order to optimize the biomass productivity, catechin monomer (GC, EGC, C, EC, CG, and ECG) and alkaloid (TB and CAF) productivity. The following factors were evaluated: concentration of growth regulators (BA and IBA), inoculum size, age of the cell line, light exposure, and effect of biotic elicitors (MeJA and extracts of Ciborinia camelliae). GC, EGC, and ECG increased approximately 1.80-fold when the auxin IBA concentration was increased from 0.1 to 2.0 mg/L. In addition, better productivity of EGC, C, EC, and CAF was achieved by using inoculum densities between 50 and 100 g/L. Although lower inoculum densities (25 g/L) showed a higher growth rate (0.20 d−1), the use of inoculum densities higher than 25 g/L favors a 2–4-fold increase in total catechin (TC) productivity, with maximum productivity being reached after 21 days of culture. However, the cell line showed instability in TC productivity: in the short term (in three successive subcultures), the coefficient of variation was 32.80%, and catechin production capacity was 2.5 years with maximum productivity at 0.5 years. Finally, it was observed that ethanol, used as an elicitor solvent, has a strong elicitor effect capable of increasing the accumulation of catechins up to 5.24 times compared to the treatment without an elicitor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Technology and Resource Utilization)
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13 pages, 2803 KiB  
Article
The Light-Intensity-Affected Aroma Components of Green Tea during Leaf Spreading
by Youyue He, Shujing Liu, Yuzhong Kang, Rajiv Periakaruppan, Jing Zhuang, Yuhua Wang, Xuan Chen, Xinqiu Liu and Xinghui Li
Foods 2024, 13(15), 2349; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152349 - 25 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1634
Abstract
Leaf spreading is a key processing step that affects the aroma formation of green tea. The effects of a single-light wavelength on the aroma and taste of tea have been extensively studied. Less attention has been paid to the effect of different complex [...] Read more.
Leaf spreading is a key processing step that affects the aroma formation of green tea. The effects of a single-light wavelength on the aroma and taste of tea have been extensively studied. Less attention has been paid to the effect of different complex light intensities on the formation of green tea’s volatile aroma during leaf spreading. The current study was designed to evaluate how leaf spreading under different complex light intensities relates to the quality of green tea. Using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS), volatile flavor compounds in green tea were analyzed during leaf spreading in five different light conditions. Multivariate statistical analysis and odor activity values (OAVs) were used to classify these samples and identify key odors. Eight distinct groups, including ninety volatile compounds, were detected. The most prevalent volatile compounds found in green tea samples were hydrocarbons and alcohols, which accounted for 29% and 22% of the total volatile compounds, respectively. Fourteen volatile compounds (OAV > 1) were identified as key active differential odorants. The chestnut-like aroma in green tea was mostly derived from 3-methyl-butanal and linalool, which were significantly accumulated in medium-intensity light (ML). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Technology and Resource Utilization)
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