Zhangping Shuixian tea cakes were baked at different temperatures (80-70-60 ℃ , 90-80-70 ℃ , 100-90-80 ℃ , and 110-100-90 ℃). Unbaked samples were used as a control. The effects of different baking temperatures on the flavor quality of Zhangping Shuixian tea cake were investigated by sensory evaluation and biochemical analysis. The results showed that the mellow and sweet taste of Zhangping Shuixian tea cake increased initially and then decreased with increasing baking temperature, and so did the floral aroma. In addition, the aroma changed from strong orchid-like to sweet and burnt. The contents of tea polyphenols, free amino acids, water extract, thearubigins, soluble sugar, theabrownin and caffeine were the key factors affecting the difference in taste. The contents of hexanol, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, 2-methyl furan, dehydrolinalool, 1-pentene-3-ol, cis-2-pentanol, α-farnesene, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, 1-ethyl-1H-pyrrole, linalool, phenethyl ethanol, β-caryophyllene, and 3,4-dihydro-4-methyl-2H-pyran were the key factors affecting the difference in aroma. The tea sample baked at 90-80-70 ℃ had the best flavor quality. Under this condition, the contents of water extract, soluble sugar and theaflavins increased, and the contents of caffeine and theabrownin decreased, thus improving the mellow taste and the sweet aftertaste. Moreover, the content of cis-2-pentenol decreased, and the contents of dehydrolinalool, linalool, β-caryophylene, 1-pentene-3-ol, α-farnene, hexanol, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, 1-ethyl-1h-pyrrole and 2-methylfuran increased, thereby promoting the formation of lingering orchid-like and sweet aromas. In conclusion, this study will provide a reference for research on the optimization of the baking process and the improvement of the flavor quality of Zhangping Shuixian tea.

To explore the effect of growing altitude on the quality of Zhenghe white tea, the sensory quality and biochemical composition of tea leaves and Zhenghe white tea from different altitudes were evaluated, and multivariate statistical analysis was applied to the obtained data. The results of sensory evaluation showed that there were significant differences in the quality of white tea from different altitudes. The mid- and high-altitude white tea tasted fresh, mellow and clean with a clean and pure aroma, while the low-altitude white tea tasted mellow and thick with a floral aroma. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that soluble sugars, caffeine, 3-carene, verbenenol, terpene oleene, cis-2-pentenol, 2-ethylfuran and cis-2-hexene-1-alcohol were the key components to distinguish fresh tea leaves from different altitudes. The contents of soluble sugar, cis-2-hexene-1 alcohol and cis-2-pentenol were higher in the mid- and high-altitude samples, while the contents of volatile components such as caffeine, 3-carene, verbenol and terpinolene were higher in the low-altitude samples. Soluble sugar, free amino acid, terpinolene, verbenol, 2-ethyl furan, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, 2-phenylethanol and 3-carene were the key components to distinguish white tea from different altitudes. The contents of soluble sugar and free amino acid were higher in the high-altitude white tea, and the contents of volatile components such as terpinolene, verbenol, phenyl ethanol and 3-carene were higher in the mid- and low-altitude samples, but low in the high-altitude samples. According to odor activity value (OAV) analysis, 2-methyl butyl aldehyde, 3-carene and terpinolene could be used as the characteristic volatile components to identify white tea samples from different altitudes. The results of this study will provide a reference for further exploring the flavor quality of tea from different altitudes.

To explore the effect of storage time on the flavor and quality of white peony tea, sensory evaluation and volatile and non-volatile composition analysis of 12 white peony tea samples made from three different varieties: Fudingdahao (FDDH), Zhenghedabai (ZHDB) and Fujiangshuixian (FJSX) were carried out, and the resulting data were analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that during the storage process, the content of tea polyphenols and free amino acids decreased, and the ratio of polyphenols to amino and the contents of soluble sugar, flavonoids and thearubigin increased, so that the taste of white peony tea was sweet, mellow, sweet after taste and stale. The large decrease in the content of alcohol substances resulted in a reduction in the refreshing and floral aroma of white peony tea. Totally 12 differential volatiles were key to changing the aroma types of white peony tea. α-Farnesene, linalool oxide Ⅱ, methyl salicylate, linalool, cis-2-pentene-1-alcohol and hexanal were the key components responsible for the floral, pekoe-like and refreshing aroma. cis-Linalool oxide and neryl oxide were also positively related to the formation of the floral aroma, and the latter was also key to the formation of the pekoe-like aroma. cis-3-Hexen-1-ol and phenethyl alcohol were also positively correlated with the formation of the refreshing aroma. In addition, 4-isopropyltoluene was the key component responsible for the honey-like and herbal aroma. Linalool oxide Ⅱ and neryl oxide were the key components responsible for the jujube-like aroma. cis-Linalool oxide was the key component responsible for the plum-like aroma. The 4-isopropyltoluene and isobutyraldehyde were the key components contributing to the woody aroma. This study provides scientific insights into the formation of the differences in the flavor and quality of white peony tea of different ages, which could provide a reference for the improvement of tea flavor.

The sensory quality and metabolite profiles of the fresh and dried buds and leaves of Lycium from 26 cultivars (lines) were analyzed by sensory evaluation and metabolomics combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The results of sensory evaluation showed that the dried buds and leaves of Lycium had a mellow, fresh and sweet taste, and by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), 879 metabolites were identified in Lycium buds and leaves, including amino acids and their derivatives, flavonoids, phenolic acids, saccharides, nucleotides and their derivatives, lignans and coumarins, alkaloids, terpenoids, organic acids, and lipids. Using partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), 211 differential metabolites were selected, which were mainly enriched in the linoleic acid metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, flavonoids and flavanols biosynthesis, phenylpropanol biosynthesis, and galactose metabolism pathways. In addition, it was found that amino acids and their derivatives, flavonoids, sugars, and lipids were important components to discriminate the metabolites of different cultivars (lines). Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis showed that 26 metabolites including epicatechin, isoquercitrin, and rutin collectively affected the taste of Lycium tea such as mellow, thick, fresh, sweet and bitter. The results of sensory evaluation and PLSR analysis showed that seven cultivars (lines) of Lycium including ‘Ningqicai No. 1’, ‘Ningqi No. 9’, Z90, Z68, Q3, Q6-13, and Z48 had better sensory quality and rich flavor substances.

Drought stress is a serious natural challenge for tea plants that significantly affects tea yield and quality. miR171s play critical roles in plant stress responses, however, their role in drought stress tolerance in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) is poorly understood. This study experimentally verified the expression patterns of csn-miR171b-3p_2 and its target, scarecrow-like (SCL). We found that csn-miR171b-3p_2 could target and regulate CsSCL6-4 to play an important role in the defense against drought stress in tea plants. CsSCL6-4 is located in the nucleus and is self-activated in vivo. In addition, we obtained 819 putative binding regions of CsSCL6-4 using DNA affinity purification sequencing analysis, which were assigned to 786 different genes, four of which were drought-resistant genes (CsPrx, CsSDR, CsFAD7, and CsCER1). Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed that CsSCL6-4 directly promoted the expression of these four drought resistance genes by binding motifs 1/2/3 in their promoter regions. Both overexpression and suppression of CsSCL6-4 proved that CsSCL6-4 participated in the defense against drought stress in tea plants by regulating the expression of CsPrx, CsSDR, CsFAD7, and CsCER1. In addition, suppression of csn-miR171b-3p_2 expression significantly increased the expression of CsSCL6-4 and activated CsSCL6-4-bound gene transcription under drought stress. Therefore, the csn-miR171b-3p_2-CsSCL6-4 module participates in tea plant resistance to drought stress by promoting the expression of drought resistance genes. Our results revealed the function of csn-miR171b-3p_2 in tea plants and provided new insights into the mechanism of tea plant resistance to drought stress.

Jasmine [Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait.], a tropical and subtropical plant emits a sweet, heady fragrance during flower opening. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely unknown. In the present study, integrated Illumina sequencing, Pacbio sequencing, and high-throughput chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) scaffolding was used to generate a 495.60 Mb genome assembly of J. sambac var. unifoliatum cultivar ‘Fuzhou Single-petal’ (JSU-FSP), with contig N50 of 16.88 Mb; 96.23% of the assembly was assigned to 13 pseudochromosomes. The genome harbors 30 989 protein-coding genes, and 49.47% of the assembled sequences are repetitive sequences. The analysis of duplication modes showed that 51% of genes were duplicated through dispersed duplication, and expanded gene families are mainly involved in photosynthesis, which may be responsible for the light-loving characteristic specific to jasmine. Transcriptome analysis revealed that at least 35 structural genes involved in the biosynthesis of volatile terpenes (VTs), volatile phenylpropanoid/benzenoids (VPBs), fatty acid-derived volatiles (FADVs), and indole were highly expressed in the flower-opening stage, both preharvest and postharvest, and are proposed to be important in endowing flower aroma. Additionally, at least 28 heat shock protein (HSP) and 11 β-glucosidase (BGLU) genes may be involved in the formation of floral fragrance. These findings provide insights into the formation of the floral fragrance of jasmine and will promote germplasm utilization for breeding improved jasmine varieties.