Determination of Tea Aroma Precursor Glycosides: An Efficient Approach via Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Tea aroma components are often stored as glycosidically bound forms in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). However, the determination of these glycosides in tea samples is far from optimal. In the present study, we developed a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous quantification of eight primary aroma glycosides within 10 min. After systematic optimization of multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) parameters, the proposed method was highly sensitive and accurate. Optimization of the method permitted the efficient extraction of aroma glycosides. The developed method was applied to analyze the contents of aroma glycosides in different organs of tea plants, including the bud, leaves, and stem. Contents of aroma glycosides in the harvested 'Shaancha 1' ranged from 36.1 to 40454.4 μg kg −1 . Geranyl glucoside and primeveroside mainly accumulated in young leaves, while other glycosides mainly accumulated in mature leaves. The findings document a rapid, reliable, and efficient analysis method. This method will be helpful in elucidating the biosynthesis and biotransformation mechanism of tea aroma glycosides and in promoting the development of the tea industry using advanced technological control approaches during the cultivation of tea plants and tea manufacture.

Comparison of Different Grades of Innovative Tanyang Congou Black Tea (Minkehong) Based on Metabolomics and Sensory Evaluation

“…Its plucking standard was set as "one bud and two to three leaves", containing tender and mature leaves. While over-aged mature leaves had a tendency to contribute to a higher and more long-lasting fragrance in tea, they also led to a coarse and ageing odour, as well as lower taste quality [11,50]. During the sensory evaluation period, it was practical to observe the appearance of tea, as it aids in the initial discrimination of tea quality based on factors such as evenness and clarity.…”

“…Besides the supplementary turning-over method, a longer period of withering is also needed, which will cause more water loss to tea leaves, and hence, more suitability for turning-over [9]. Furthermore, the fermentation degree of innovative black tea is generally lower than that of traditional black tea [10,11]. The advancement of both variety and processing methods contributes to the exceptional quality of innovative black tea to some extent, as represented in Figure 1.…”