Abstract
Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world. The biochemical components of tea leave include polyphenols (catechins and flavonoides), alkaloids (caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, etc.), volatile compounds, polysaccharides, amino acids, lipids and vitamins show a variety of bioactivities. Prolong cross-pollination nature of tea plants have produced considerable heritable variation, resulting in a high level of genetic diversity. The collection and conservation of the cultivars, landraces and wild relatives of the tea plant provides breeders with fundamental materials from which new cultivars are to be developed. The major role of tea breeding is to improve productivity, enhance tolerant to biotic and abiotic stress, and increase tea flavor and quality. Dissection of the genetic basis of these traits provides the potential for accelerating the breeding process by developing new tools such as marker-assisted selection. Therefore present review provides an overview of the biochemical and metabolite diversity of the global tea germplasm and its characterization and utilization.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alcázar A, Ballesteros O, Jurado JM et al (2007) Differentiation of green, white, black, Oolong, and Pu-erh teas according to their free amino acids content. J Agric Food Chem 55:5960–5965
Amarakoon T (2004) Tea for Health. Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle
Ashihara H, Kato M, Chuang-xing Y (1998) Biosynthesis and metabolism of purine alkaloids in leaves of cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla). J Plant Res 111:599–604
Ashihara H, Deng WW, Mullen W, Crozier A (2010) Distribution and biosynthesis of flavan-3-ols in Camellia sinensis seedlings and expression of genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes. Phytochemistry 71:559–566
Banerjee B (1992) Botanical classification of tea. In: Wilson KC, Clifford MN (eds) Tea cultivation to consumption. Chapman & Hall publication, London, pp 555–601
Bezbaruah HP (1976) The tea varieties in cultivation—an appraisal. Two a Bud 23:13–19
Bhuyan LP, Tamuly P, Mahanta PK (1991) Lipid content and fatty acid composition of tea shoot and manufactured tea. J Agric Food Chem 39:1159–1162
Borse BB, Rao LJM, Nagalakshmi S, Krishnamurthy N (2002) Fingerprint of black teas from India: identification of the regio-specific characteristics. Food Chem 79:419–424
Chakraborty U, Dutta S, Chakraborty BN (2002) Response of tea plants to water stress. Biol Plant 45:557–562
Chen L, Zhou ZX (2005) Variations of main quality components of tea genetic resources [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] preserved in the China national germplasm tea repository. Plant Food Hum Nutr 60:31–35
Chen C-N, Liang C-M, Lai J-R et al (2003) Capillary electrophoretic determination of theanine, caffeine, and catechins in fresh tea leaves and oolong tea and their effects on rat neurosphere adhesion and migration. J Agric Food Chem 51:7495–7503
Chen J, Wang P, Xia Y et al (2005) Genetic diversity and differentiation of Camellia sinensis L. (cultivated tea) and its wild relatives in Yunnan province of China, revealed by morphology, biochemistry and allozyme studies. Genet Resour Crop Evol 52:41–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-005-0285-1
Chen Y, Jiang Y, Duan J et al (2010) Variation in catechin contents in relation to quality of “Huang Zhi Xiang” Oolong tea (Camellia sinensis) at various growing altitudes and seasons. Food Chem 119:648–652
Chen Q, Zhao J, Chen Z et al (2011) Discrimination of green tea quality using the electronic nose technique and the human panel test, comparison of linear and nonlinear classification tools. Sens Actuators B 159:294–300
Chu DC (1997) Green tea—its cultivation, processing of the leaves for drinking materials, and kinds of green tea. In: Yamamoto T, Juneja LR, Chu DC, Kim M (eds) Chemistry and applications of green tea. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 1–11
Das SK, Sabhapondit S, Ahmed G, Das S (2013) Biochemical evaluation of triploid progenies of diploid × tetraploid breeding populations of Camellia for genotypes rich in catechin and caffeine. Biochem Genet 51:358–376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-013-9569-x
de Vries JHM, Hollman PCH, van Amersfoort I et al (2001) Red wine is a poor source of bioavailable flavonols in men. J Nutr 131:745–748
Diana M, Quílez J, Rafecas M (2014) Gamma-aminobutyric acid as a bioactive compound in foods: a review. J Funct Foods 10:407–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2014.07.004
Dreosti IE, Wargovich MJ, Yang CS (1997) Inhibition of carcinogenesis by tea: the evidence from experimental studies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 37:761–770
Engelhardt UH (2010) Chemistry of Tea. In: Mender L, Liu HW (eds) Comprehensive natural products II: chemistry and biology. Elsevier, London, pp 999–1032
Fiander H, Schneider H (2000) Dietary ortho phenols that induce glutathione S-transferase and increase the resistance of cells to hydrogen peroxide are potential cancer chemopreventives that act by two mechanisms: the alleviation of oxidative stress and the detoxification of mutagenic. Cancer Lett 156:117–124
Fraser K, Harrison JS, Lane GF et al (2012) Non-targeted analysis of tea by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry. Food Chem 134:1616–1623
Fraser K, Lane GA, Otter DE et al (2014) Non-targeted analysis by LC–MS of major metabolite changes during the oolong tea manufacturing in New Zealand. Food Chem 151:394–403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.11.054
Gulati A, Rajkumar S, Karthigeyan S et al (2009) Catechin and catechin fractions as biochemical markers to study the diversity of Indian tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) germplasm. Chem Biodivers 6:1042–1052
Gunasekara MTK, Arachchige JDK, Mudalige AK, Peiris TUS (2001) Morphological diversity of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) genotypes in Sri Lanka. In: Proceedings of the 57th Annual Session of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), p 83
Gunasekare MTK (2007a) Current status and future directions in breeding tea. In: Gunasena HPM, Girihagama PC (eds) Current status and future directions of plant breeding research in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy, Colombo, pp 111–124
Gunasekare MTK (2007b) Applications of molecular markers to the genetic improvement of Camellia sinensis L. (tea)—a review. J Hortic Sci Biotechnol 82:161–169
Gunasekare MTK (2012) Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis) breeding in Sri Lanka. In: Chen L, Apostolides Z (eds) Global tea breeding-achievements, challenges and perspectives. Springer-Verlag, Zhejiang Press, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 125–176
Gunasekare MTK, Ranatunga MAB, Piyasundara JHN, Kottawa-Arachchi JD (2012) Tea genetic resources in Sri Lanka: collection, conservation and appraisal. Int J Tea Sci 8:51–60
Hara Y, Luo SJ, Wickremasinghe RL, Yamanishi T (1995) Special issue on tea. Food Rev Int 11:371–545
He W, Hu X, Zhao L et al (2009) Evaluation of Chinese tea by the electronic tongue: correlation with sensory properties and classification according to geographical origin and grade level. Food Res Int 42:1462–1467
Henry RJ (1997) Practical applications of plant molecular biology. Chapman and Hall, London
Hertog MGL, Hollman PCH, van de Putte B (1993) Content of potentially anticarcinogenic flavonoids of tea infusions, wines and fruit juices. J Agric Food Chem 41:1242–1246
Hewavitharanage P, Karunaratne S, Kumar SN (1999) Effect of caffeine on shot hole borer beetle Xyleborus fornicatus of tea Camellia sinensis. Phytochem 51:35–41
Ho CT, Zheng X, Li S (2015) Tea aroma formation. Food Sci Hum Wellness 4(1):9–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2015.04.001
Hollman PCH, de Vries JHM, van Leeuwen SD et al (1995) Absorption of dietary quercetin glycosides and quercetin in healthy ileostomy volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr 62:1276–1282
Horanni R, Engelhardt UH (2013) Determination of amino acids in white, green, black, oolong, pu-erh teas and tea products. J Food Compos Anal 31:94–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2013.03.005
IPGRI (1997) Descriptors for tea (Camellia sinensis). IPGRI, International Plant Genetic Resource Institute, Rome
Janet TC, John WK, Thomas K et al (2015) Effect of seasons on theanine levels in different Kenyan commercially released tea cultivars and its variation in different parts of the tea shoot. Food Nutr Sci. https://doi.org/10.4236/fns.2015.615149
Jayasekera S, Kaur L, Molan A et al (2014) Effects of season and plantation on phenolic content of unfermented and fermented Sri Lankan tea. Food Chem 152:546–551
Jeganathan B, Punyasiri PAN, Kottawa-Arachchi JD et al (2016) Genetic variation of flavonols quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol in the Sri Lankan tea (Camellia sinensis L.) and their health-promoting aspects. Int J Food Sci 2016:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6057434
Jin JQ, Ma JQ, Ma CL et al (2014) Determination of catechin content in representative Chinese tea germplasms. J Agric Food Chem 62:9436–9441
Joshi R, Rana A, Gulati A (2015) Studies on quality of orthodox teas made from anthocyanin-rich tea clones growing in Kangra valley, India. Food Chem 176:357–366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.12.067
Juneja LR, Chu DC, Okubo T et al (1999) l-Theanine—a unique amino acid of green tea and its relaxation effect in humans. Trends Food Sci Technol 10:199–204
Karori SM, Wachira FN, Ngure RM, Mireji PO (2014) Polyphenolic composition and antioxidant activity of Kenyan tea cultivars. J Pharmacogn Phytochem 3:105–116
Kato M, Mizuno K, Fujimura T et al (1990) Purification and characterization of caffeine synthase from tea leaves. Plant Physiol 120:579–586
Kerio L, Wachira FN, Rotich MK (2012) Characterization of anthocyanins in Kenyan teas: extraction and identification. Food Chem 131:31–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.08.005
Kong JM, Chia LS, Goh NK, Chia TF (2003) Analysis and biological activities of anthocyanins. A review. Phytochemistry 64:923–933
Kottawa-Arachchi JD, Gunasekare MTK, Ranatunga MAB et al (2013) Use of biochemical compounds in tea germplasm characterization and its implications in tea breeding in Sri Lanka. J Natn Sci Foundation Sri Lanka 41:309–318. https://doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v41i4.6252
Kottawa-Arachchi JD, Gunasekare MTK, Ranatunga MAB et al (2014) Biochemical characteristics of tea (Camellia L. spp.) germplasm accessions in Sri Lanka: correlation between black tea quality parameters and organoleptic evaluation. Int J Tea Sci 10:3–13
Kumar SN, Hewavitharanage P, Adikaram NKB (1995) Attack on tea by Xyleborus fornicatus: inhibition of the symbiote, Mona crosporiumambrosium, by Caffeine. Phytochem 40:1113–1116
Lee JE, Lee BJ, Chung JO et al (2010) Geographical and climatic dependencies of green tea (Camellia sinensis) metabolites: a (1)H NMR-based metabolomics study. J Agric Food Chem 58:10582–10589
Li J, Hashimoto F, Shimizu K, Sakata Y (2013) Phytochemistry chemical taxonomy of red-flowered wild Camellia species based on floral anthocyanins. Phytochemistry 85:99–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2012.09.004
Lin JK, Lin CL, Liang YC et al (1998) Survey of catechins, gallic acid, and methylxanthines in green, oolong, pu-erh, and black teas. J Agric Food Chem 46:3635–3642
Liyanage AC, de Silva MJ, Ekanayake A (1988) Analysis of major fatty acids in tea. Sri Lanka J Tea Sci 57:46–49
Lopez SJ, Thomas J, Pius PK et al (2005) A reliable technique to identify superior quality clones from tea germplasm. Food Chem 91:771–778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.10.005
Maeda-Yamamoto M, Sano M, Matsuda N et al (2001) The change of epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl) gallate content in tea of different varieties, tea seasons of crop and processing method. J Jpn Soc Food Sci Technol 48:64–68
Maeda-Yamamoto M, Nagaya H, Mitsumori T et al (2007) A change of chemical components and effects on anti-allergic activity in “Benifuuki” green tea which was produced with a low caffeine processing mechine. Jpn J Food Eng 8:109–116
Magoma GN, Wachira FN, Obanda M et al (2000) The use of catechins as biochemical markers in diversity studies of tea (Camellia sinensis). Genet Resour Crop Evol 47:107–114
Magoma GN, Wachira FN, Imbuga MO, Agong SG (2003) Biochemical differentiation In Camellia sinensis and its wild relatives as revealed by isozyme and catechin patterns. Biochem Syst Ecol 31:995–1010
Mahanta PK, Hazarika M (1985) Chlorophylls and degradation products in orthodox and CTC black teas and their influence on shade of colour and sensory quality in relation to thearubigins. J Sci Food Agric 36:1133–1139
Maritim TK, Kamunya SM, Mireji P et al (2015) Physiological and biochemical response of tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] to water-deficit stress. J Hortic Sci Biotechnol 90:395–400
Miyagishima A, Fujiki S, Okimura A et al (2011) Novel decaffeination of green tea using a special picking method and shortening of the rolling process. Food Chem 125:878–883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.09.058
Mohanpuria P, Kumar V, Ahuja PS, Yadav SK (2011) Producing low-caffeine tea through post-transcriptional silencing of caffeine synthase mRNA. Plant Mol Biol 76:3–34
Mondal TK (2014) Molecular markers. In: Breeding and biotechnology of tea and its wild species. Springer (India) Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, pp 93–114
Mukhopadhyay M, Mondal TK, Chand PK (2016) Biotechnological advances in tea (Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze): a review. Plant Cell Rep 35:255–287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-015-1884-8
Mur LAJ, Hauck B, Winters A et al (2015) The development of tea blister caused by Exobasidium vexans in tea (Camellia sinensis) correlates with the reduced accumulation of some antimicrobial metabolites and the defence signals salicylic and jasmonic acids. Plant Pathol. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.12364
Muthaiya MJ, Nagella P, Thiruvengadam M, Mandal AKA (2013) Enhancement of the productivity of tea (Camellia sinensis) secondary metabolites in cell suspension cultures using pathway inducers. J Crop Sci Biotechnol 16:143–149
Muthiani MA, Wanyoko JK, Wachira FN et al (2016) Potential use of Kenyan tea cultivars in development of high value diversified products potential use of Kenyan tea cultivars in development of high value diversified products. Int J Tea Sci 12:30–48. https://doi.org/10.20425/ijts.v0iof.9599
Nafees M, Jaskani MJ, Ahmad S et al (2016) Biochemical diversity in wild and cultivated pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) in Pakistan. J Hortic Sci Biotechnol 92:199–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2016.1252250
Ni S, Yao M, Chen L et al (2008) Germplasm and breeding research of tea plant based on DNA marker approaches. Front Agric China 2:200–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11703-008-0043-1
Obanda M, Owuor PO, Njuguna CK (1992) The impact of clonal variation of total polyphenols content and polyphenol oxidase activity of fresh tea shoots on plain black tea quality parameters. Tea 13:129–133
Obanda M, Owuor PO, Mang’oka R, Kavoi MM (2004) Changes in thearubigin fractions and theaflavin levels due to variations in processing conditions and their influence on black tea liquor brightness and total colour. Food Chem 85:163–173
Ogino A, Tanaka J, Taniguchi F et al (2009) Detection and characterization of caffeine-less tea plants originated from interspecific hybridization. Breed Sci 59:277–283
Ortega-Regules A, Romero-Cascales I, López-Roca JM et al (2006) Anthocyanin fingerprint of grapes: environmental and genetic variations. J Sci Food Agric 86:1460–1467
Owuor P, Takeo T, Horita H (1987) Differentiation of clonal teas by terpene index. J Sci Food Agric 40:341–345
Pandotra P, Gupta AP, Husain MK et al (2013) Evaluation of genetic diversity and chemical profile of ginger cultivars in north-western Himalayas. Biochem Syst Ecol 48:281–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2013.01.004
Pilgrim TS, Watling RJ, Grice K (2010) Application of trace element and stable isotope signatures to determine the provenance of tea (Camellia sinensis) samples. Food Chem 118:921–926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.08.077
Piyasundara JHN, Gunasekare MTK, Wickramasinghe IP (2009) Characterization of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) germplasm in Sri Lanka using morphological descriptors. Sri Lanka J Tea Sci 74:31–39
Ponmurugan P, Baby UI (2007) Morphological, physiological and isochemical changes in resistant and susceptible cultivars of tea in relation to phomopsis disease. Plant Pathol J 6:91–94
Punyasiri PAN, Abeysinghe ISB, Kumar V (2005) Preformed and induced chemical resistance of tea plant against Exobasidium vexans infection. J Chem Ecol 31:1315–1323
Punyasiri PAN, Jeganathan B, Kottawa-Arachchi JD et al (2015) New sample preparation method for quantification of phenolic compounds of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze): a polyphenol rich plant. J Anal Methods Chem. 2015:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/964341
Punyasiri PAN, Jeganathan B, Kottawa-Arachchi JD et al (2017) Genotypic variation in biochemical compounds of the Sri Lankan tea (Camellia sinensis L.) accessions and their relationships to quality and biotic stresses. J Hortic Sci Biotechnol 92:502–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2017.1289070
Rajapaksha D, Waduge V, Alvarez P et al (2017) XRF to support food traceability studies: classification of Sri Lankan tea based on their region of origin. X-Ray Spectrom 46:220–224. https://doi.org/10.1002/xrs.2748
Rajkumar S, Karthigeyan S, Sud RK et al (2010) Genetic diversity of Indian tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) germplasm detected using morphological characteristics. J Cell Plant Sci 1:13–22
Ranatunga MAB, Kottawa-Arachchi JD, Gunasekare MTK et al (2015) Alkaloids and flavonols as chemotaxonomic markers: potential applications in Camellia sinensis (Tea) breeding. In: Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress. Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Pradeniya, Sri Lanka
Ravichandran R (2002) Carotenoid composition distribution and degradation to flavor volatiles during black tea manufacture and the effect of carotenoid supplementation on tea quality and aroma. Food Chem 78:23–28
Ren G, Wang S, Ning J et al (2013) Quantitative analysis and geographical traceability of black tea using Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIRS). Food Res Int 53:822–826
Robertson A (1992) The chemistry and biochemistry of black tea production—the non-volatiles. In: Willson KC, Clifford MN (eds) Tea: cultivation to consumption. Chapman & Hall Publication, London, pp 555–601
Rodriguez-Mateos A, Vauzour D, Krueger CG et al (2014) Bioavailability, bioactivity and impact on health of dietary flavonoids and related compounds: an update. Arch Toxicol 88:1803–1853
Sabhapondit S, Karak T, Bhuyan LP, et al (2012) Diversity of catechins in Notheast Indian tea cultivars. Sci World J. Article ID 485193. https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/485193
Saijo R (1983) Pathway of gallic acid biosynthesis and its esterification with catechins in young tea shoots. Agric Biol Chem 47:455–460
Saito K, Nakamura Y (2017) Development and properties of green tea with reduced caffeine. J Exp Agric Int 17:1–6. https://doi.org/10.9734/JEAI/2017/36537
Sanderson GW (1972) The chemistry of tea and tea manufacturing, structural and functional aspects of phytochemistry. Academic Press, London
Sanderson GW, Selvendran RR (1965) The organic acids in tea plants. A study of the non-volatile organic acids separated on silica gel. J Sci Food Agric 16:251–258
Saravanan M, John KMM, Kumar RR et al (2005) Genetic diversity of UPASI tea clones (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) on the basis of total catechins and their fractions. Phytochem 66:561–565
Schuh C, Schieberle P (2006) Characterization of the key aroma compounds in the beverage prepared from Darjeeling black tea: quantitative differences between tea leaves and infusion. J Agric Food Chem 54:916–924
Sealy R (1958) A revision of genus Camellia. The Royal Horticultural Society, London
Sharangi AB (2009) Medicinal and therapeutic potentialities of tea (Camellia sinensis L.)—a review. Food Res Int 42:529–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2009.01.007
Shibasaki-Kitakawa N, Takeishi J, Yonemoto T (2003) Improvement of catechin productivity in suspension cultures of tea callus cells. Biotechnol Prog 19:655–658
Su MH, Tsou CH, Hsieh CF (2007) Morphological comparisons of Taiwan native wild tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze forma formosensis Kitamura) and two closely related taxa using numerical methods. Taiwania 52:70–83
Sud RG, Baru A (2000) Seasonal variations in theaflavins, thearubigins, total colour and brightness of Kangra orthodox tea (Camellia sinensis (L) O Kuntze) in Himachal Pradesh. J Sci Food Agric 80:1291–1299
Szabados L, Savouré A (2010) Proline: a multifunctional amino acid. Trends Plant Sci 15:89–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2009.11.009
Takeda Y (1994) Differences in caffeine and tannin contents between tea cultivars and application to tea breeding. Jpn Agric Res Quart 28:117–123
Takeo T (1983) Effect of clonal specificity of the monoterpene alcohol composition of tea shoots on black tea aroma profile. Jpn Agric Res Quart 17(2):120–124
Takeo T, Mahanta PK (1983) Comparison of black tea aromas of orthodox and CTC tea and of black teas made from different varieties. J Sci Food Agric 34:307–310
Tan J, Engelhardt UH, Lin Z et al (2017) Flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids and theanine in different types of authentic Chinese white tea samples. J Food Compos Anal 57:8–15
Taylor S, Baker D, Owuor P et al (1992) A model for predicting black tea quality from the carotenoid and chlorophyll composition of fresh green tea leaf. J Sci Food Agric 58:185–191. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740580205
Ullah J, Shah AH, Nisar M et al (2016) Biochemical characterization of lentil germplasm for genetic diversity. Plant Cell Biotechnol Mol Biol 17:7–13
Upadhyaya H, Panda SK (2013) Abiotic stress responses in tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]: an overview. Rev Agric Sci 1:1–10. https://doi.org/10.7831/ras.1.1
Vrhovsek U, Masuero D, Palmieri L, Mattivi F (2012) Identification and quantification of flavonol glycosides in cultivated blueberry cultivars. J Food Compos Anal 25:9–16
Vuong QV, Bowyer MC, Roach PD (2011) l-Theanine: properties, synthesis and isolation from tea. J Sci Food Agric 91:1931–1939. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.4373
Vuong QV, Golding JB, Stathopoulos CE, Roach PD (2013) Effects of aqueous brewing solution pH on the extraction of the major green tea constituents. Food Res Int 53:713–719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2012.09.017
Wachira F, Ng W, Omolo J, Mamati G (2002) Genotype × environment interactions for tea yields. Euphytica 127:289–296
Wang L, Xu R, Hu B et al (2010a) Analysis of free amino acids in Chinese teas and flower of tea plant by high performance liquid chromatography combined with solid-phase extraction. Food Chem 123:1259–1266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.05.063
Wang XC, Chen L, Ma CL et al (2010b) Genotypic variation of beta-carotene and lutein contents in tea germplasms, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze. J Food Compos Anal 23:9–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2009.01.016
Wang YS, Gao LP, Shan Y et al (2012a) Influence of shade on flavonoid biosynthesis in tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). Sci Hortic 141:7–16
Wang YS, Gao LP, Wang ZR et al (2012b) Light-induced expression of genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathways in callus of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). Sci Hortic 133:72–83
Wei K, Wang L, Zhou J et al (2011) Catechin contents in tea (Camellia sinensis) as affected by cultivar and environment and their relation to chlorophyll contents. Food Chem 125:44–48
Wight W (1959) Nomenclature and classification of the tea plant. Nature 183:1728–1729
Wight W (1962) Tea classification revised. Curr Sci 31:298–299
Wiseman SA, Balentine DA, Frei B (1997) Antioxidants in tea. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 37:705–718
Wu C, Xu H, Héritier J, Andlauer W (2012) Determination of catechins and flavonol glycosides in Chinese tea varieties. Food Chem 132:144–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.10.045
Yang Z, Baldermann S, Watanabe N (2013) Recent studies of the volatile compounds in tea. Food Res Int 53(2):585–599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2013.02.011
Yang T, Zhu Y, Shao CY et al (2016) Enantiomeric analysis of linalool in teas using headspace solid-phase microextraction with chiral gas chromatography. Ind Crops Prod 83:17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.12.025
Yao MZ, Chen L (2012) Tea germplasm and breeding in China. In: Chen L, Apostolides Z, Chen ZM (eds) Global tea breeding—achievements, challenges and perspectives. Zhejiang University Press, Hangzhou and Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 13–58
Yao LH, Jiang YM, Shi J et al (2004) Flavonoids in Food and Their Health Benefits. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 59:113–122
Zagoskina NV, Goncharuk EA, Alyavina AK (2007) Effect of cadmium on the phenolic compounds formation in the callus cultures derived from various organs of the tea plant. Russ J Plant Physiol 54:237–243
Zhang Y, Chen B, Huang Z, Shi Z (2004) Preparative isolation and purification of l-Theanine by HPLC. J Liq Chromatogr Relat Technol 27:875–884
Zhao M, Ma Y, Wei ZZ et al (2011) Determination and comparison of types, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in pu-erh and other of Chinese tea. J Agric Food Chem 59:3641–3648
Zheng XQ, Li QS, Xiang LP, Liang YR (2016) Recent advances in volatiles of teas: review. Molecules 21(338):1–12
Zhu Y, Shao CY, Lv HP et al (2017) Enantiomeric and quantitative analysis of volatile terpenoids in different teas (Camellia sinensis). J Chromatogr A 1490:177–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2017.02.013
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kottawa-Arachchi, J.D., Gunasekare, M.T.K. & Ranatunga, M.A.B. Biochemical diversity of global tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] germplasm and its exploitation: a review. Genet Resour Crop Evol 66, 259–273 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-018-0698-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-018-0698-2