Ma Bingsong, Ma Cunqiang, Zhou Binxing, Chen Xuan, Wang Yuhua, Li Yifan, Yin Junfeng, Li Xinghui
College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
Tea Research Institute Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, 9 South Meiling Road, Hangzhou 310008, China.
Food Chem X. 2025 Jan 27;25:102234. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102234. eCollection 2025 Jan.
Natural storage promotes raw Pu-erh tea (RaPT) aging along with chemical conversion and flavor evolution. In this study, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS-based non-targeted metabolomics were performed to illustrate dynamic changes of taste compounds across 18 RaPT samples during the storage. Multivariate statistical analyses effectively classified stored RaPT into three groups based on storage stages, confirming that storage duration, rather than environmental conditions, primarily influences the taste profile and the changes in non-volatile compounds. A total of 509 characteristic metabolites (VIP > 1.0, < 0.05, and FC > 1.50 or < 0.67) including multifarious flavor compounds related to tastes evolution were identified. Notable changes included the reduction, transformation, and condensation of flavonoids (such as catechins, flavonol glycosides, and anthocyanins) and amino acids, alongside an accumulation of organic acids, catechin/amino acid derivatives, flavoalkaloids, and gallic acid. These transformations generated significantly ( < 0.05) decreased umami, bitterness, and astringency, while significantly ( < 0.05) increasing sourness and kokumi. Molecular docking analyses further revealed that certain compounds, notably puerins and -ethyl-2-pyrrolidone-substituted flavan-3-ols (EPSFs), exhibit high binding affinities with CaSR and OTOP1, contributing to the kokumi and sourness taste profiles.
自然陈化促进了生普洱茶（RaPT）的陈化，同时伴随着化学转化和风味演变。在本研究中，进行了定量描述分析（QDA）和基于超高效液相色谱-轨道阱质谱联用仪（UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS）的非靶向代谢组学分析，以阐明18个RaPT样品在陈化过程中呈味化合物的动态变化。多变量统计分析根据陈化阶段有效地将储存的RaPT分为三组，证实了储存时间而非环境条件是影响口感特征和非挥发性化合物变化的主要因素。共鉴定出509种特征代谢物（VIP>1.0，<0.05，FC>1.50或<0.67），包括与风味演变相关的多种呈味化合物。显著变化包括黄酮类化合物（如儿茶素、黄酮醇苷和花青素）和氨基酸的减少、转化和缩合，同时有机酸、儿茶素/氨基酸衍生物、黄酮生物碱和没食子酸积累。这些转化导致鲜味、苦味和涩味显著降低（<0.05），而酸味和醇厚味显著增加（<0.05）。分子对接分析进一步表明，某些化合物，特别是普洱茶素和N-乙基-2-吡咯烷酮取代的黄烷-3-醇（EPSFs），与CaSR和OTOP1具有高结合亲和力，有助于产生醇厚味和酸味口感特征。
