Desen Su,Yunyun Zheng,Minmin Huang,Ziqiang Chen,Lisong Chen,Meizhen Chen,Qinghua Yao
Depending on the manufacturing process, Tieguanyin tea (TGY) is classified into three main groups, light flavor type (LFT), heavy flavor type (HFT), and stale flavor type (SFT). However, the compositions and contents of volatile compounds among TGY types were still unclear. This study aimed to develop an efficient method for the nonselective determination of volatile compounds in teas via direct-headspace injection coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (DHI-GC-MS), and to perform a comprehensive comparison among these teas. One hundred and twelve volatile compounds belonging to 9 classes were identified. Among them, 33 common volatiles from 4 categories (aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and acids) were the dominant volatiles and accounted for 71.5%, 73.0%, and 71.8% of the total amount in LFT, HFT, and SFT, respectively. E-Nerolidol, ethanol, acetic acid, and some volatiles with five and six-carbon chains were the key chemicals to distinguish three different TGY teas. With PLS-DA analysis, distinct differences among different groups were observed. The results generated from this study may offer valuable insights for better grading of TGY teas.
Longjing tea is renowned for its fresh aroma and high value. However, during storage, the emergence of an off-flavor known as “stale odor” can significantly impact the flavor quality and economic benefits of Longjing tea. Yet, the specific volatiles responsible for this stale odor in Longjing tea remain unknown. In this study, Longjing tea samples with varying degrees of stale odor intensity were analyzed using simultaneous distillation extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SDE-GC–MS). Through odor activity value (OAV) and fractional omission testing, hexanoic acid and trans -2-nonenal were identified as the primary contributors to the stale odor. Moreover, the concentration of hexanoic acid was found to be valuable in predicting the intensity of the stale odor in Longjing tea. The oxidative degradation of linoleic acid was proved as the generation pathway of stale odor in Longjing tea. These findings provide essential theoretical principles for Longjing tea production and preservation.