TMDB: a literature-curated database for small molecular compounds found from tea

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Natural Products Chemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Tea is a globally consumed beverage with numerous health benefits attributed to its chemical components.
• Existing research on tea's chemical constituents is fragmented across numerous studies.
• A centralized, curated database is needed to facilitate comprehensive research and data application in tea science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present the Tea Metabolome database (TMDB), a manually curated, web-accessible resource.
• To consolidate and standardize information on small molecular compounds found in tea (Camellia sinensis) and its products.
• To support researchers in tea biochemistry, natural products chemistry, and nutrition.

Main Methods:

• The Tea Metabolome database (TMDB) was manually curated and developed as a web-accessible platform.
• Data was collected from 364 published sources, including journals and books, and integrated with NMR and MS data.
• TMDB allows keyword searches by compound name, formula, occurrence, and CAS number, with entries containing an average of 24 data fields.

Main Results:

• TMDB contains over 1393 tea constituents, representing the most comprehensive curated collection globally.
• The database includes detailed information such as compound structure, molecular weight, uses, health benefits, and references.
• Experimental NMR and MS data are incorporated, alongside cross-references to external databases like HMDB and PubMed.

Conclusions:

• The TMDB serves as a robust platform for the collection, standardization, and retrieval of tea compound information.
• This database will function as a comprehensive repository, significantly advancing research in tea biochemistry and health.
• TMDB is freely accessible, promoting wider use within the scientific community.