Comprehensive analysis of taste variations and pleasantness components in white tea from different organs of Camellia sinensis cv. Fuding Dabaicha

Tea flowers and seeds, non-leaf organs of Camellia sinensis , are often discarded, leading to inefficient resource utilization. This study evaluated the potential of tea flowers and seeds by preparing white teas from fresh leaves (WT), flowers (WTF), and seeds (WTS) of Camellia sinensis cv. Fuding Dabaicha. Sensory evaluation, targeted metabolomics, and molecular simulations were used to investigate taste components and their impact on pleasantness. WTF exhibited the highest pleasantness score (6.60), followed by WTS (6.36) and WT (6.10). Four sugars— d -fructose, glucose, D-galactose, and D-xylose—synergistically enhanced pleasantness, with a dose-dependent increase, especially d -fructose. Molecular simulations showed these sugars formed a stable binding network with the CHRM1 receptor (−60.04 kcal/mol), with d -fructose as the key contributor. Alanine scanning identified ARG123 as a critical binding residue. This study provides support for the high-value utilization of tea flowers and seeds and offers insights into enhancing the pleasantness of tea beverages.