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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Tea Aroma Analysis Based on Solvent-Assisted Flavor Evaporation Enrichment
Published on: May 26, 2023
Integrated metabolomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses reveal changes in the non-volatile metabolite profile
Qiuming Li1, Yucheng Zheng2, Hongzheng Lin3
1Key Laboratory of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Center for Tea Plant Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China.
Abstract:
LED light withering is a crucial method for overcoming weather limitations and enhancing the quality of oolong tea. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, this study simulated solar spectra using multiwavelength LED light and compared the resulting metabolic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profiles during the enzymatic-catalysis process (ECP) in oolong tea processing. Results indicated that LED light withering altered gene expression and protein regulation of secondary metabolism, particularly in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. These shifts encompassed key quality-related compounds, including flavonoids (quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, dihydroquercetin), amino acids (L-asparagine, L-histidine), guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP), and carbohydrates. Furthermore, LED light withering accelerated tea leaf water loss, influenced gene expression involved in photosynthetic cellular components (chloroplasts, thylakoids), increased ascorbate peroxidase regulation under stress, and subsequently modulated energy metabolism and signal transduction in tea leaves. This study offers molecular theoretical framework for the controlled light-withering of oolong tea under bad weather and the associated improvements in its quality.
