The Quality Evaluation of Tea (Camellia sinensis) Varieties Based on the Metabolomics

Abstract

<jats:p>The identification and evaluation of tea [<jats:italic>Camellia sinensis</jats:italic> (L.) O. Kuntze] germplasm resources are of great significance for tea plant breeding. In recent years, various methods, such as morphology, biochemistry, molecular markers, and sensory evaluation, have been used to evaluate the tea germplasm resources. However, the evaluation of tea germplasms based on metabolomics is rarely reported. In this study, we first measured the main agronomic characters and biochemical components of tea young shoots in spring, and then analyzed the metabolic profiles using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results indicate that tea germplasm accessions QN3 and QN38 had excellent agronomic traits with early germination and high yield compared with HM. The biosynthesis of flavonoids in young shoots of QN3 was more vigorous, especially for the biosynthesis of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG). Accession QN3 had highest content of luteoloside, myricetin and rutin, whereas QN38 had highest content of most amino acids. On the basis of sensory quality evaluation, accession QN3 and QN38 all had higher total quality scores. By using these approaches, we found that QN3 and QN38 are excellent breeding materials with high yield and high quality for making green teas. We also believe that the evaluation system constructed by the approaches described here is suitable for the identification of tea germplasms.</jats:p>

Fulvic acid ameliorates drought stress-induced damage in tea plants by regulating the ascorbate metabolism and flavonoids biosynthesis

“…The uniformly sized one-year-old seedlings of C.sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze cv. 'QN3' [50], acquired from Qingdao Agricultural University in Shandong Province of China (36°19′N, 120°23′E), were transplanted into plastic cups filled with sandy loam soil and pH 4.5. The 'QN3' was identified by Prof Zhaotang Ding, Yu wang and etc.…”

Assessment of Genetic Diversity of Tea Germplasm for Its Management and Sustainable Use in Korea Genebank

“…Clonal identification is traditionally based on morphological descriptors such as plant shape, stem width, leaf shape, young leaf type, and fruit shape [15,17]. However, as in many out-crossing crops, tea is highly heterozygous with most of its morphological, physiological, and biochemical descriptors showing continuous variation and high plasticity [18,19]. Korir et al reported that morphological traits are associated with drawbacks such as the influences of environment on trait expressions, epistatic interactions, and pleiotropic effects among others despite the value of their advantages [17].…”

Exogenous abscisic acid induces the lipid and flavonoid metabolism of tea plants under drought stress

“…Tea plant cultivar, 'QN3' (Camellia sinensis cv. QN3) is an improved cultivar bred by the Tea Research Institute, Qingdao Agricultural University [43][44][45] . The 2-year-old tea seedling were cultured in growth chamber for 2 weeks with photoperiod (12 h light at 25°C and 12 h dark at 20°C, 75% of humidity) and a light intensity of 18, 000 lx.…”