Effects of Monascus purpureus on ripe Pu-erh tea in different fermentation methods and identification of characteristic volatile compounds

Exploring microbial and moist-heat effects on Pu-erh tea volatiles and understanding the methoxybenzene formation mechanism using molecular sensory science

“…The review hypothesized that catechins such as epigallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin undergo oxidation by tannase and esterase enzymes to form GA, which in the action of microorganisms produces methoxybenzenes (1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, 1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene, and 1,2-dimethoxybenzene). Preliminary results suggest that microbial action is the main source of synthesizing stale aroma-like substances in Pu-erh tea ( Tian et al, 2024 ; Wang, Li, et al, 2022 ; Wang, Su, et al, 2022 ). In our current experiment, methoxybenzenes were quantitatively analyzed in SPPF and STPF samples, and the methoxybenzenes produced in the SPPF samples were approximately seven times more than those made under the action of moist-heat (Fig.…”