The differential analysis of volatile substances from Gucong green tea
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Yingke Ma
,
Xiaojie Dong
,
Kun Huang
Abstract
Gucong tree leaves (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) are conventionally processed into white or oolong tea, with limited application in green tea production. This study aims to investigate and elucidate the quality and aroma characteristics of green tea manufactured from Gucong tree leaves, focusing on the influence of bud-to-leaf ratio and thermal processing parameters (drying and roasting) on aroma development. The volatile substances, including both free and bound forms, were analyzed using the headspace solid–phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). And the aroma characteristics were further examined through the multivariate statistical analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and the odor activity value (OAV) calculations. A total of 51 volatile compounds were identified in fresh leaves and derived green tea, with 11 key aroma-active compounds discerned. Geraniol and linalool emerged as the most abundant constituents, while alcohols dominated the volatile fraction. Notably, there were 11 compounds, including 1-octen-3-ol, geraniol, and benzene-acetaldehyde significantly contributed to the overall aroma. Aroma radar plots further defined Gucong green tea by its distinct floral, sweet, and green notes. The origin of the raw materials and the drying processes were identified as the critical factors influencing the generation of the green aroma. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of the production and processing of Gucong leaves.
Funding source: the Science and Technology Research Project of Education Department of Hubei Province
Award Identifier / Grant number: D20221903
Funding source: the Postgraduate Research and Innovation Plan Project of Hubei Minzu University
Award Identifier / Grant number: MYK 2024048
Award Identifier / Grant number: MYK 2025088
Funding source: the National Natural Science Foundation of China
Award Identifier / Grant number: 32360630
Funding source: the project of Hubei Key Laboratory of Biologic Resources Protection and Utilization (Hubei Minzu University)
Award Identifier / Grant number: KYPT012404
Funding source: the Science and Technology Plan Project of Enshi
Award Identifier / Grant number: D20230090
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge Mr. Kun Huang for his assistance for preparing the sample of tea leaves. The authors are very grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32360630), the project of Hubei Key Laboratory of Biologic Resources Protection and Utilization (Hubei Minzu University) (KYPT012404), the Science and Technology Research Project of Education Department of Hubei Province (D20221903), the Science and Technology Plan Project of Enshi (D20230090) and the Postgraduate Research and Innovation Plan Project of Hubei Minzu University (MYK 2024048, MYK 2025088).
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: Yingke Ma: Writing – original draft, Data curation. Yan Yang: Visualization, Writing - review & editing. Xiaojie Dong: Writing - review & editing, Conceptualization. Kun Huang: Methodology, Investigation. Yanbin Xiao: Resources, Investigation. Wenyi Yan: Formal analysis, Investigation. Minlan Wang: Formal analysis, Supervision. Sheng Hu: Conceptualization, Methodology. Xinyu Shi: Resources, Investigation. Ainong Yu: Resources, Supervision. Baoguo Sun: Resources.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
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Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: This work was financially supported by National National Natural Science Foundation of China (32360630).
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Data availability: Not applicable.
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