Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Foods Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Tea: Processing Techniques, Flavor Chemistry and Health Benefits

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Drinks and Liquid Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 23 September 2024 | Viewed by 4485

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhi Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: tea; processing techniques; flavor chemistry; aroma; health benefits

Dr. Hongkai Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
Interests: tea processing; Maillard reaction; advanced glycation end-products; strecker alderhyder; tea quality control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tea processing techniques have received increasing attention as an important way to improve tea quality. Different technologies applied in tea processing could create sensorial profile diversities of tea products. Special flavors are the source of tea’s charm, and flavor chemistry is the origin of tea’s sensorial qualities. Plentiful aroma, characteristic tastes and various colors are the foundation of tea’s flavor qualities. Due to the processing techniques having significant effect on the tea flavor qualities, recent advances refer to new forms of application to explore the causes of tea flavor formation under different processing techniques. Tea has been proved to be a healthy beverage, and processing techniques also have great effect on tea’s chemical composition, which are the basis of its health benefits. So, the internal factors of tea flavor changes and health benefits caused by tea processing techniques need intensive study.

Dr. Zhi Yu
Dr. Hongkai Zhu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

tea
processing techniques
flavor chemistry
sensorial profiles
aroma
health benefits
antioxidation

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 3432 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Uncovering the Dynamic Alterations of Volatile Components in Sweet and Floral Aroma Black Tea during Processing

by Yanqin Yang, Qiwei Wang, Jialing Xie, Yuliang Deng, Jiayi Zhu, Zhongwen Xie, Haibo Yuan and Yongwen Jiang

Foods 2024, 13(5), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050728 - 28 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 836

Abstract

Aroma is an indispensable factor that substantially impacts the quality assessment of black tea. This study aims to uncover the dynamic alterations in the sweet and floral aroma black tea (SFABT) throughout various manufacturing stages using a comprehensive analytical approach integrating gas chromatography electronic nose, gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Notable alterations in volatile components were discerned during processing, predominantly during the rolling stage. A total of 59 typical volatile compounds were identified through GC-IMS, whereas 106 volatile components were recognized via GC-MS throughout the entire manufacturing process. Among them, 14 volatile compounds, such as linalool, β-ionone, dimethyl sulfide, and 1-octen-3-ol, stood out as characteristic components responsible for SFABT with relative odor activity values exceeding one. This study serves as an invaluable theoretical platform for strategic controllable processing of superior-quality black tea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea: Processing Techniques, Flavor Chemistry and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 6154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Metabolomics Study of Four Kinds of Xihu Longjing Tea Based on Machine Fixing and Manual Fixing Methods

by Hongchun Cui, Yuxiao Mao, Yun Zhao, Haitao Huang, Junfeng Yin, Jizhong Yu and Jianyong Zhang

Foods 2023, 12(24), 4486; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12244486 - 14 Dec 2023

Viewed by 781

Abstract

China Xihu Longjing tea is famous for its good flavor and quality. However, information on its related metabolites, except for flavonoids, is largely deficient. Different processing methods for China Xihu Longjing tea fixing—by machines at both the first and second step (A1), first step by machine and second step by hand (A2), first step by hand and second step by machine (A3), and by hand at both the first and second step (A4)—were compared using a UHPLC–QE–MS-based metabolomics approach. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to analyze the metabolic profiles of the processed samples. A total of 490 metabolites (3 alkaloids, 3 anthracenes, 15 benzene and substituted derivatives, 2 benzopyrans, 13 coumarins and derivatives, 128 flavonoids, 4 furanoid lignans, 16 glycosides and derivatives, 5 indoles and derivatives, 18 isocoumarins and derivatives, 4 chalcones and dihydrochalcones, 4 naphthopyrans, 3 nucleosides, 78 organic acids and derivatives, 55 organooxygen compounds, 5 phenols, 109 prenol lipids, 3 saccharolipids, 3 steroids and steroid derivatives, and 17 tannins) were identified. The different metabolic profiles were distinguished using PCA and OPLS-DA. There were differences in the types and contents of the metabolites, especially flavonoids, furanoid lignans, glycosides and derivatives, organic acids and derivatives, and organooxygen compounds. There was a positive correlation between flavonoid metabolism and amino acid metabolism. However, there was a negative correlation between flavonoid metabolism and amino acid metabolism, which had the same trend as prenol lipid metabolism and tannins. This study provides new valuable information regarding differences in the metabolite profile of China Xihu Longjing tea processed based on machine fixing and on manual fixing methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea: Processing Techniques, Flavor Chemistry and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1503 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compositions and Antioxidant Activity of Tea Polysaccharides Extracted from Different Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Varieties

by Kunyue Xiao, Yutao Shi, Sisi Liu, Yuqiong Chen, Dejiang Ni and Zhi Yu

Foods 2023, 12(19), 3584; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193584 - 27 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1121

Abstract

Tea polysaccharide (TPS) is a bioactive compound extracted from tea. It has raised great interest among researchers due to its bioactivity. However, few studies focused on the diversity of TPS in its compositions and antioxidant activity. This study collected 140 different tea varieties from four tea germplasm gardens in China, and their TPSs in tea shoots were extracted. The extraction efficiency, composition contents, including neutral sugar, uronic acid, protein, and tea polyphenols, and the scavenging abilities of hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide radical (O2-·) of 140 TPSs were determined and analyzed. The results showed significant differences in the compositions and antioxidant activities of TPS extracted from different tea varieties. By applying hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), we selected nine tea varieties with high TPS extraction efficiency and 26 kinds of TPS with high antioxidant capacity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea: Processing Techniques, Flavor Chemistry and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 1634 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress on the Effect and Mechanism of Tea Products with Different Fermentation Degrees in Regulating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

by Guangneng Li, Jianyong Zhang, Hongchun Cui, Zhihui Feng, Ying Gao, Yuwan Wang, Jianxin Chen, Yongquan Xu, Debao Niu and Junfeng Yin

Foods 2024, 13(2), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13020221 - 10 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1188

Abstract

A popular non-alcoholic beverage worldwide, tea can regulate blood glucose levels, lipid levels, and blood pressure, and may even prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Different tea fermentation levels impact these effects. Tea products with different fermentation degrees containing different functional ingredients can lower post-meal blood glucose levels and may prevent T2DM. There are seven critical factors that shed light on how teas with different fermentation levels affect blood glucose regulation in humans. These factors include the inhibition of digestive enzymes, enhancement of cellular glucose uptake, suppression of gluconeogenesis-related enzymes, reduction in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) activity, modulation of gut flora, and the alleviation of inflammation associated with oxidative stress. Fermented teas can be used to lower post-meal blood glucose levels and can help consumers make more informed tea selections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea: Processing Techniques, Flavor Chemistry and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures