Comparative Analysis of Purine Alkaloids and Main Quality Components of the Three Camellia Species in China

Abstract

Tea (Camelliasinensis var. sinensis) is a widely consumed caffeine-containing beverage, however the Camellia genus also includes other species, which are consumed as tea in their local growing regions. Presently, HPLC analysis assessed 126 unique Camellia germplasms belonging to three Camellia species, C. sinensis var. pubilimba Chang (Csp), C. gymnogyna Chang (CgC) and C. crassicolumna Chang (CcC). Theobromine was the predominant purine alkaloid in all species, representing over 90% of purine alkaloids in Csp and CgC, and 50% in CcC. Significant variability existed in purine alkaloid patterns both between and within species, and some germplasms possessed highly unique alkaloid profiles. Sensory evaluation and quality composition analysis of green tea products produced from the three Camellia species suggested their unsuitability for use in tea production due to their unpalatable flavor. The results of this study revealed the differences in purine alkaloids and main quality components between Camellia species and tea, which contributed to understand why tea, rather than other Camellia species, has become a popular beverage in the world after long-term artificial selection. In addition, unique alkaloid profiles suggest usefulness of these germplasm resources in future breeding of decaffeinated tea plant varieties and alkaloid metabolism research.

Special tea products featuring functional components: Health benefits and processing strategies

“…In addition to Cocoa tea and “Hongyacha,” similar purine alkaloid contents have recently been reported in three Camellia species among the theobromine‐rich wild tea plants (Teng et al., 2020; Zeng et al., 2022). The theobromine content is mainly enriched in the young shoots of the tea plant and markedly decreases as the leaves mature.…”

An insight into recent updates on analytical techniques for bioactive alkaloids

“…In this method three Camellia species were used for the estimation of theobromine, theophylline, caffeine, and theacrine: Camellia crassicolumna , Camellia gymnogyna , and Camellia ptilophylla . This study revealed that theobromine emerged as the primary purine alkaloid across all species, accounting for more than 90% of the purine alkaloid content in C. ptilophylla and C. gymnogyna and 50% in C. crassicolumna 82 …”

“…This study revealed that theobromine emerged as the primary purine alkaloid across all species, accounting for more than 90% of the purine alkaloid content in C. ptilophylla and C. gymnogyna and 50% in C. crassicolumna. 82 Caro et al utilized HPLC-MS to determine the levels of purine alkaloids and phenolic compounds in T. cacao seeds at various developmental stages. Fourteen different compounds were extracted from the seeds at different growth phases.…”

miR828a-CsMYB114 Module Negatively Regulates the Biosynthesis of Theobromine in Camellia sinensis

“…Theobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine), a purine alkaloid precursor for caffeine synthesis, differs from caffeine primarily due to the absence of a methyl group at the N–1 position, − and exhibits diuretic, cardiac excitatory, vasodilatory, and smooth muscle relaxing properties . Theobromine is predominantly found in cocoa, coffee, and tea plants. − Young leaves contain the highest concentration of theobromine, and this concentration declines as the leaves age, while other parts of the tea plant, including the flowers, stems, seeds and roots, contain traces …”