Jin Ge, Bi Chenyue, Ji Anqi, Hu Jieyi, Zhang Yuanrong, Yang Lumin, Wu Sunhao, Shen Zhaoyang, Zhou Zhou, Li Xiao, Qin Huaguang, Mu Dan, Hou Ruyan, Wu Yan
Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Characteristic Resource Utilization in Southwest Anhui, School of Life Sciences, Anqing Forestry Technology Innovation Research Institute, Anqing Normal University, North Jixian Road, No.1318, Anqing 246133, China.
National Key Laboratory for Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
Foods. 2025 Jun 5;14(11):1996. doi: 10.3390/foods14111996.
The evaluation of region-specific aroma characteristics in green tea remains critical for quality control. This study systematically analyzed eight Tongcheng Xiaohua tea samples (standard and premium batches) originating from four distinct regions using sensory analysis, electronic nose (E-nose), headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), and chemometrics. The E-nose results demonstrated that the volatile characteristics of Tongcheng Xiaohua tea exhibit distinct geographical signatures, confirming the regional specificity of its aroma. HS-SPME-GC-MS identified 66 volatile metabolites across samples, with 18 key odorants (OAV > 1) including linalool, geraniol, ()-jasmone, and -ionone driving aroma profiles. The partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model, combined with variable importance in projection (VIP) scores and OAV, identified seven compounds that effectively differentiate the origins, among which -pinene and -cyclocitral emerged as novel markers imparting unique regional characteristics. Further comparative analysis between standard and premium grades revealed 2-methyl butanal, 3-methyl butanal, and dimethyl sulfide as main differential metabolites. Notably, the influence of geographical origin on metabolite profiles was found to be more significant than batch effects. These findings establish a robust analytical framework for origin traceability, quality standardization, and flavor optimization in tea production, providing valuable insights for the tea industry.
对绿茶中特定区域香气特征的评估对于质量控制仍然至关重要。本研究使用感官分析、电子鼻（E-nose）、顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱联用（HS-SPME-GC-MS）和化学计量学方法，系统分析了来自四个不同地区的八个桐城小花茶样品（标准批次和优质批次）。电子鼻结果表明，桐城小花茶的挥发性特征呈现出明显的地域特征，证实了其香气的区域特异性。HS-SPME-GC-MS在样品中鉴定出66种挥发性代谢物，其中18种关键气味物质（香气活度值OAV>1），包括芳樟醇、香叶醇、（±）-茉莉酮和β-紫罗兰酮，构成了香气轮廓。偏最小二乘判别分析（PLS-DA）模型结合投影变量重要性（VIP）得分和OAV，确定了七种能够有效区分产地的化合物，其中α-蒎烯和β-环柠檬醛成为赋予独特区域特征的新标志物。进一步对标准等级和优质等级进行比较分析，发现2-甲基丁醛、3-甲基丁醛和二甲基硫醚是主要的差异代谢物。值得注意的是，发现地理来源对代谢物谱的影响比批次效应更为显著。这些发现为茶叶生产中的产地溯源、质量标准化和风味优化建立了一个强大的分析框架，为茶叶行业提供了有价值的见解。
