Jianyun Ruan

Effects of potassium and magnesium nutrition on the quality components of different types of tea

In field experiments, the effects of potassium and magnesium nutrition on the quality components of different types of tea, including black tea, oolong tea and green tea, were studied. The results show that K and Mg fertilizer application increased the contents of free amino acids and caffeine of the various tea types with the maximum increase found in the treatment including both nutrients. The content of polyphenols in tea leaves was also increased by K application. The effect of Mg on polyphenol content was inconsistent. In general, Mg apparently decreased the content of polyphenols and only in case the soils were depleted of plant available K and Mg, a slight increase could be observed. The contents of theaflavins and thearubigins, important quality components of brewed black tea, were also increased by K application. Flavour compounds in brewed oolong tea were considerably improved by K and Mg application. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry

Effect of potassium, magnesium and sulphur applied in different forms of fertilisers on free amino acid content in leaves of tea (Camellia sinensisL)

Free amino acids in tea leaves are important chemical constituents that considerably influence the quality of tea, especially that of green tea. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of the nutrients potassium, magnesium and sulphur on biomass production and amino acid accumulation in tea leaves in pot and field experiments. The results show that biomass production and the free amino acid contents in tea leaves increased considerably following the application of potassium and magnesium. Combined application of both nutrients produced the highest increment in free amino acids. The increased free amino acid content in tea leaves was accompanied by enhanced nitrate reductase activity. This indicates that potassium and magnesium application improved the nitrogen metabolism, leading to an increased synthesis of amino acids. A comparison between K 2 CO 3 vs K 2 SO 4 and MgO vs MgSO 4 revealed significantly higher amino acid contents in tea leaves when both potassium and magnesium were applied in the sulphate form, indicating that not only potassium and magnesium but also sulphur plays an important role in the accumulation of amino acids in tea leaves. A pot experiment using KCl and K 2 SO 4 was carried out in order to compare the two commercially available potassium fertiliser forms in their effect on biomass production and the content of free amino acids in tea leaves. The results showed no difference on biomass production between the two fertiliser forms. However, whereas KCl tentatively depressed nitrate reductase activity and hence the accumulation of free amino acids, K 2 SO 4 significantly increased the contents of these quality promoting constituents of tea leaves. The role of fertiliser composition, detrimental effects of accompanying anions, eg Cl - and differences in nutrient availability (eg oxide sulphate form) and possible impact on soil chemistry as main reasons for the observations, being crucial aspects with regard to fertilisation of tea for good quality are discussed.

Accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium by tea plants.

It is important to research the rules about accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium by tea plants, which will give us some scientific ideas about how to control the contents of arsenic and cadmium in tea. In this study, by field investigation and pot trial, we found that mobility of arsenic and cadmium in tea plants was low. Most arsenic and cadmium absorbed were fixed in feeding roots and only small amount was transported to the above-ground parts. Distribution of arsenic and cadmium, based on their concentrations of unit dry matter, in tea plants grown on un-contaminated soil was in the order: feeding roots>stems≈main roots>old leaves>young leaves. When tea plants were grown on polluted soils simulated by adding salts of these two metals, feeding roots possibly acted as a buffer and defense, and arsenic and cadmium were transported less to the above-ground parts. The concentration of cadmium in soil significantly and negatively correlated with chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and biomass production of tea plants.

Metabolomic analysis using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF MS) uncovers the effects of light intensity and temperature under shading treatments on the metabolites in tea.

To investigate the effect of light intensity and temperature on the biosynthesis and accumulation of quality-related metabolites, field grown tea plants were shaded by Black Net and Nano-insulating Film (with additional 2–4°C cooling effect) with un-shaded plants as a control. Young shoots were subjected to UPLC-Q-TOF MS followed by multivariate statistical analysis. Most flavonoid metabolites (mainly flavan-3-ols, flavonols and their glycosides) decreased significantly in the shading treatments, while the contents of chlorophyll, β-carotene, neoxanthin and free amino acids, caffeine, benzoic acid derivatives and phenylpropanoids increased. Comparison between two shading treatments indicated that the lower temperature under Nano shading decreased flavonols and their glycosides but increased accumulation of flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins. The comparison also showed a greater effect of temperature on galloylation of catechins than light intensity. Taken together, there might be competition for substrates between the up- and down-stream branches of the phenylpropanoid/flavonoid pathway, which was influenced by light intensity and temperature.

Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Distinct Change of Metabolites and Quality of Green Tea during the Short Duration of a Single Spring Season

The sensory quality of green tea changes greatly within a single spring season, but the mechanism is not clearly elucidated. Young shoots of the early, middle, and late spring season were subjected to metabolite profiling using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF/MS) and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-TOF/MS. Multivariate analyses revealed largely different metabolite phenotypes in young shoots among different periods. The contents of amino acids decreased, whereas carbohydrates, flavonoids and their glycosides, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and photorespiration pathways were strongly reinforced in the late spring season, which were well reflected in the sensory quality of made teas. Metabolomic analyses further demonstrated distinct variations of metabolite phenotypes in mature leaves. The results suggested that the fluctuation of green tea quality in the spring season was caused by changes of metabolite phenotypes in young shoots, which was likely related to the remobilization of carbon and nitrogen reserves from mature leaves.

Metabolomics analysis reveals the metabolic and functional roles of flavonoids in light-sensitive tea leaves

BackgroundAs the predominant secondary metabolic pathway in tea plants, flavonoid biosynthesis increases with increasing temperature and illumination. However, the concentration of most flavonoids decreases greatly in light-sensitive tea leaves when they are exposed to light, which further improves tea quality. To reveal the metabolism and potential functions of flavonoids in tea leaves, a natural light-sensitive tea mutant (Huangjinya) cultivated under different light conditions was subjected to metabolomics analysis.ResultsThe results showed that chlorotic tea leaves accumulated large amounts of flavonoids with ortho-dihydroxylated B-rings (e.g., catechin gallate, quercetin and its glycosides etc.), whereas total flavonoids (e.g., myricetrin glycoside, epigallocatechin gallate etc.) were considerably reduced, suggesting that the flavonoid components generated from different metabolic branches played different roles in tea leaves. Furthermore, the intracellular localization of flavonoids and the expression pattern of genes involved in secondary metabolic pathways indicate a potential photoprotective function of dihydroxylated flavonoids in light-sensitive tea leaves.ConclusionsOur results suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and the antioxidation effects of flavonoids help chlorotic tea plants survive under high light stress, providing new evidence to clarify the functional roles of flavonoids, which accumulate to high levels in tea plants. Moreover, flavonoids with ortho-dihydroxylated B-rings played a greater role in photo-protection to improve the acclimatization of tea plants.

The interaction between soil water regime and potassium availability on the growth of tea

Abstract Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) grown in China often suffers from severe seasonal drought in the summer causing drastic effects on productivity. In a field trial, the effect of potassium (K) fertilization on summer tea yields during 1992–1994 was studied and related to the weather conditions of the respective years. Summer tea yields of 1994 (dry year) increased significantly at K2 (300 kg K2O‐ha‐1) compared to the Kl treatment (150 kg K2O ha‐1). In contrast, only marginal effects were observed by increasing K application from Kl to K2 in the years with adequate water availability (1992 and 1993). During the latter maximum tea yields were already achieved with Kl. In addition, a pot experiment was conducted in order to investigate the interaction between the soil water regime and K availability in the soil on tea biomass production. Soil moisture was maintained at 45, 55, 65, 75, and 85% of the field capacity (FC) and K levels were 0 and 500 mg K2Okg‐1. No tea plant survived at the 45% FC level wherea...

Integrated Transcriptome and Metabolic Analyses Reveals Novel Insights into Free Amino Acid Metabolism in Huangjinya Tea Cultivar

The chlorotic tea variety Huangjinya, a natural mutant, contains enhanced levels of free amino acids in its leaves, which improves the drinking quality of its brewed tea. Consequently, this chlorotic mutant has a higher economic value than the non-chlorotic varieties. However, the molecular mechanisms behind the increased levels of free amino acids in this mutant are mostly unknown, as are the possible effects of this mutation on the overall metabolome and biosynthetic pathways in tea leaves. To gain further insight into the effects of chlorosis on the global metabolome and biosynthetic pathways in this mutant, Huangjinya plants were grown under normal and reduced sunlight, resulting in chlorotic and non-chlorotic leaves, respectively; their leaves were analyzed using transcriptomics as well as targeted and untargeted metabolomics. Approximately 5,000 genes (8.5% of the total analyzed) and ca. 300 metabolites (14.5% of the total detected) were significantly differentially regulated, thus indicating the occurrence of marked effects of light on the biosynthetic pathways in this mutant plant. Considering primary metabolism, including that of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids, significant changes were observed in the expression of genes involved in both nitrogen (N) and carbon metabolism. The suite of changes not only generated an increase in amino acids, including glutamic acid, glutamine, and theanine, but it also elevated the levels of free ammonium, citrate, and α-ketoglutarate, and lowered the levels of mono- and di-saccharides and of caffeine as compared with the non-chlorotic leaves. Taken together, our results suggest that the increased levels of amino acids in the chlorotic vs. non-chlorotic leaves are likely due to increased protein catabolism and/or decreased glycolysis and diminished biosynthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds other than amino acids, including chlorophyll, purines, nucleotides, and alkaloids.

Absorption of foliar-applied urea-15N and the impact of low nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and sulfur nutritional status in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plants

Abstract Foliar urea application provides an alternative strategy for minimizing the risk of nitrogen (N) over-fertilization in green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) production. Solution and pot experiments were conducted with the objective to evaluate the utilization efficiency of foliar applied urea and the impact of plant nitrogen (N), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) nutritional status. In the solution experiment, the dynamic absorption and translocation of foliar N was followed by scheduled samplings at 2 and 6 h, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 13 d after application. In the pot experiment, foliar urea-N absorption was measured for tea plants supplied with adequate nutrients (Control, CK) or low levels of respective nutrients (–N, –K, –Mg, and –S) in soil. The results showed that foliar-15N uptake rate was the highest within the earliest 6 h and the 15N amount in treated leaves reached a maximum within 2 d after application in the solution experiment. The absorbed 15N was mainly transported to young shoots, and the export rate became significant after 1 d. The total 15N absorption in plants increased significantly within 2 d and increased slightly but constantly afterwards until 13 d. In the pot experiment, the low supply of nutrients except S significantly decreased their concentrations in mature leaves. The Ndff values in urea-treated leaves and young shoots were 8.1–16.4% and 7.1–19.2%, respectively, and were the highest in the –N treatment compared to the other treatments, suggesting the most remarkable contribution of foliar N application to the N status of –N plants. Low N (–N) supply reduced the total 15N absorption and its allocation to young shoots. Low K (–K) supply significantly diminished the 15N amount in young shoots without affecting the total absorption. Total 15N absorption in tea plants was decreased by low S (–S) but unaffected by low Mg (–Mg) status. The amount of 15N in the young shoots correlated closely (r = 0.94, p < 0.001) with its biomass and also with the biomass of whole above-ground plants, to a lesser extent (r = 0.51, p < 0.05). It was concluded that foliar urea-N was rapidly absorbed and exported mainly to the young shoots, representing the major sink. The utilization efficiency of foliar-N was reduced by depleted N, K and S nutritional status which weakened the N sink strength resulting from poor young shoot growth.