Effect of shaking process on correlations between catechins and volatiles in oolong tea

Shaking the tea leaves is the key manipulation to making oolong tea. It contributes to the formation of flavor and fragrance in oolong tea. The dynamic variations of catechins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the shaking process were investigated. The results showed that the contents of epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) first decreased after the shaking and then increased to the initial value before the next shaking. Geraniol, linalool and its oxides, and phenylethyl alcohol showed similar variations. The contents of trans-β-ocimene, 1H-indole, and 3-hexenyl hexanoate increased after the second or third shaking (the late fermentation stage). However, the contents of aldehydes showed an opposite trend to other VOCs. The abundance of phenylethyl alcohol was positively related to the content of ECG and EGCG ​during fermentation, whereas the abundance of cis-3-hexenal was negatively related to the content of ECG. The correlations between catechin and VOCs indicated that shaking affected the chemical transformation of the compounds in oolong tea.