Characterization of volatiles in tea leaf cuticular wax during white tea processing across distinct climatic regions

Climate change significantly impacts tea plant (Camellia sinensis) physiology, particularly the cuticular wax layer on leaves, which serves as a critical barrier against environmental stress. This study investigates how climatically distinct growing regions modify the composition and morphology of tea leaf cuticular wax, and thereby affect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during white tea processing. Through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and sensory evaluation, we demonstrate that climate-induced wax modifications correlate with volatile profiles shifts, ultimately impacting tea fragrance. The results showed that most of the differential components in cuticular wax of samples between Guizhou (GZ) and Shandong (SD) Province were related to stress tolerance, indicating the influence of climate differences on chemical property of tea leaves. Among these compounds, β-N-acetylglucosamine, D-arabitol, L-arabitol and tiglic acid were identified throughout the whole processing, with the first two components showing higher content in SD samples. The differential volatiles in tea leaves between GZ and SD samples were mostly enriched in pathways related to cell survival proliferation and environmental adaption, some of which also participated in modulating flavor-related components. The results of sensory evaluation showed that GZ samples were found to have stronger floral and fruity aroma and weaker green flavor than SD samples, which was in accordance with previous study. Our findings highlight the ecological and industrial implications of wax-mediated aroma changes, offering insights for adapting tea cultivation to climatic variability.