Insight into the chemical compositions of Anhua dark teas derived from identical tea materials: A multi-omics, electronic sensory, and microbial sequencing analysis

• Published in: Food chemistry 2024-05, Vol.441, p.138367-138367, Article 138367
• Main Authors: Huang, Xiangxiang, Li, Yilong, Zhou, Fang, Xiao, Tian, Shang, Bohao, Niu, Li, Huang, Jianan, Liu, Zhonghua, Wang, Kunbo, Zhu, Mingzhi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anhua dark tea; Camellia sinensis; Electronic sensory evaluations; Metabolomics; Microbial fermentation; Volatolomics
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138367

•The chemical compositions of five types of Anhua dark tea were investigated.•Multi-omics based on metabolomics, volatolomics, and electronic sensory analysis were used.•All of the tea samples were derived from identical tea materials.•Microbial communities of Anhua DTs were identified.•The chemical differences between Anhua DTs and five other kinds of tea were investigated. Anhua dark teas (DTs), including Tianjian tea, Qianliang tea, Hei brick tea, and Fu brick tea, are unique fermented teas from China’s Anhua County; yet their chemical composition differences remain unclear. Herein, metabolomics, volatolomics, and electronic sensory assessments were employed to analyze and compare chemical compositions and sensory characteristics of five types of Anhua DTs. All of these teas were derived from identical tea materials. Chemical compositions differed significantly among Anhua DTs, with Tianjian tea remarkable. Long-lasting fermentation and complex processing methods led to transformation of multiple compounds, particularly catechins. Eighteen volatile compounds with OVA > 1 were key aroma contributors in Anhua DTs. Internal transcribed spacer and 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing showed that Eurotium, Pseudomonas, and Bacillus are dominant microorganisms in Anhua DTs. Furthermore, this study unveiled notable differences in chemical compositions between Anhua DTs and five other traditional types of tea. This research enhances our understanding of Anhua DTs processing.