Nontargeted Analysis Using Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography–Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Uncovers the Effects of Harvest Season on the Metabolites and Taste Quality of Tea (Camellia sinensis L.)

Abstract

The chemical composition and taste quality of tea fluctuate seasonally. However, the compounds responsible for the seasonal variation of metabolic pattern and taste quality are far from clear. This study compared the metabolite profiles of green teas of nine varieties that were plucked in spring, summer, and autumn by using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) on a reversed phase column. A multivariate analysis indicated distinct differences among the metabolite phenotypes of teas harvested in different seasons. Heat-map analysis and metabolic pathway analysis demonstrated that flavan-3-ols, theasinensins, procyanidins, quercetin-O-glycosides, apigenin-C-glycosides, and amino acids exhibited sharp seasonal fluctuations. An equivalent quantification of tea tastes showed that in summer and autumn teas, the bitterness and astringency were significantly elevated, whereas umami declined. Metabolite content comparisons and partial least-squares analysis suggested that several flavonoids and amino acids are mainly responsible for the seasonal variations in taste quality.

Estimation of Curcuminoids in Curcuma Karnatakensis (White Turmeric) - An Endemic Taxon

“…MS-based target quantification of biological extracts is considered as quite precise and reliable because of its specificity, sensitivity, and selectivity [16][17][18]. Goren et al [5] have compared NMR with LC-MS/MS method for quantification of curcumin in commercial turmeric samples.…”

Metabolomic analysis reveals the composition differences in 13 Chinese tea cultivars of different manufacturing suitabilities

“…Some achievements have been obtained with respect to studies of the influences of climate, cultivation methods and growth regions on tea plants . Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC–MS)‐based metabolomics allows high‐throughput, highly sensitive and simultaneous analysis of hundreds of endogenous metabolites in teas . Metabolomics also allows a comparison of metabolic pathways in different tea plants …”

“…Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC–MS)‐based metabolomics allows high‐throughput, highly sensitive and simultaneous analysis of hundreds of endogenous metabolites in teas . Metabolomics also allows a comparison of metabolic pathways in different tea plants …”

“…4,8 Metabolomics has a great advantage for comprehensive metabolite mapping, and has been widely used in tea science. Some achievements have been obtained with respect to studies of the influences of climate, 9,10 cultivation methods 11 and growth regions on tea plants. 12 Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics allows high-throughput, highly sensitive and simultaneous analysis of hundreds of endogenous metabolites in teas.…”

Nutrimetabolomics: An Update on Analytical Approaches to Investigate the Role of Plant-Based Foods and Their Bioactive Compounds in Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases

“…Furthermore, nutrimetabolomics opens the door to a new age of research and development lines due to massive dataset generation. The use of nutrimetabolomics data in bioinformatics could allow research work in fields such as the determination of the nutritional status of individuals and populations or predicting and analyzing the responses to dietary interventions [18,19,20,21]. …”