Analytical Methods
·
2025
·
IF 2.6
Lili Zhou,Guangyue Hou,Dan Xi,Yue Guo,Yanping Gou,Hanlin Li,Yaning Zhang,Yongxin Mo,Xiaoli Dai,Rongjin Xu,Hany S. El-Mesery,Wenjie Lu
Mercury ion (Hg²⁺) pollution in tea poses significant risks to human health due to its high toxicity, bioaccumulation, and potential to cause neurological and kidney damage. Sensitive monitoring of Hg²⁺ in tea is therefore critical for food safety and public health. Here, we developed an electrochemical biosensor for ultrasensitive Hg²⁺ assay by integrating thymine-Hg²⁺-thymine (T-Hg²⁺-T) mismatch recognition with exonuclease III (EXO III)-assisted dual signal amplification. The sensing mechanism relies on Hg²⁺-triggered formation of T-Hg²⁺-T structures, which activate EXO III to release Hg²⁺ for cyclic reuse while generating reporter DNA (RDNA). Signal amplification is further enhanced by MOF(Zr)/Th/AuPt nanocomposites, where Zr-based metal-organic frameworks (MOF(Zr)) and AuPt nanoparticles synergistically catalyze thionine (Th) oxidation, producing a strong electrochemical response. This dual-amplification strategy achieves a detection limit of 4.45 pM, surpassing conventional methods. The biosensor demonstrates high specificity against interfering metal ions (e.g., Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺) and reliable performance in real tea samples (93.7%~103.4% recovery), offering a promising tool for monitoring Hg²⁺ contamination in food products.
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Foods
·
2025
·Vol. 14
·期 11
·1894
·
IF 5.1
Xiaomin Chen,Yao Hu,Zhen Zeng,Xu Zhang,Yahui Huang
As a potential raw material with a variety of bioactive compounds, Pu-erh raw tea can produce rich flavor and health benefits through natural fermentation or microbial fermentation in traditional processing. However, the traditional fermentation process has some problems such as a long fermentation period and unstable quality. Monascus, a kind of fungus used in both medicine and food, has been proved to have many beneficial effects such as lowering cholesterol and regulating blood lipids. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether the fermentation of mixed monascus could significantly improve the flavor quality and lipid-lowering activity of Pu-erh raw tea. We added four kinds of monascus to unfermented Pu-erh raw tea (UT) to obtain a fermented Pu-erh raw tea (FT). The quality of the two tea samples was determined and an in vitro lipid-lowering experiment was conducted. The results show that the contents of water extractives, flavone, trans-catechins (GCG and CG), theabrownins, and caffeine in FT are significantly higher than those in UT, increasing by 19.41%, 14.47%, 18.76%, 29.82%, and 10.67%, respectively. In terms of aroma, linalool was the characteristic compound of UT, presenting a floral note. D-Limonene was the key characteristic substance of FT, manifested as lemon, toast, and wood. In terms of taste, FT has a high content of bitter amino acids and caffeine, a low content of catechins, and is rich in carbohydrate substances, forming a characteristic mild and mellow slightly bitter taste with reduced astringency. In addition, the relative contents of active substances with lipid-lowering effects such as quercetin, quercitrin, ascorbic acid, and sorbitol in FT were higher than those in UT, increasing by 83.09%, 81.73%, 89.86%, and 92.76%, respectively. The effect of FT on regulating cellular lipid metabolism was superior to UT based on cell experiments. The research results provide a scientific basis for the deep processing and functional development of Pu-erh raw tea.
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FOOD CHEMISTRY
·
2026
·
IF 10.4
Jinxiang Chen,Yingjie Zhu,Ken Chen,Haitao Li,Mingfu Wang,Qian Zhou
Dandelion ( Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.) flower tea is valued for its flavor and health potential, whilst brewing methods critically influence its quality. This study investigated the impact of brewing methods on the sensory traits and chemical composition of dandelion flowers. Although sensory evaluation revealed no significant preference, the hot and cold brewing methods yielded distinct chemical profiles. Cold brewing increased levels of sugar, amino acids, alkaloids, and featured aroma compounds such as dihydroactinidiolide and isovaleraldehyde. In contrast, hot brewing promoted polyphenol extraction (caftaric acid) and higher antioxidant activity. Key aroma markers, notably ( Z )-2-heptenal with its green and fatty notes, were exclusive to hot brew. Moreover, mineral-rich tap water reduced chicoric acid extraction. Optimal hot brewing conditions were determined as a 1:50 tea-to-water ratio, using purified water at 100 °C for 5 min in a thermos. These findings provide practical guidance for optimizing flavor and health benefits in dandelion flower tea preparation.
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Agriculture-Basel
·
2026
·Vol. 16
·期 3
·
IF 4.5
Shirui Li,Rui Sun,Yong He,Xin Li,Yang Li,Liang Zhao,Xinyu Huang,Yufei Xu
Accurate, nondestructive assessment of fresh tea leaf quality is important for breeding and field management, yet most spectral work still targets processed or low-moisture products. Here, a mechanistically guided hyperspectral method was developed to estimate free amino acids (AA) and total polyphenols (TP) in fresh leaves. Spectral experiments on purified AA and TP powders and their water mixtures identified a key spectral window at 1660 nm. Fractional-order derivatives were applied to leaf reflectance spectra from 102 spring samples (53 varieties), and full-spectrum Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) models were used as comparison and validated on an independent set of 40 summer samples. PLSR achieved decent cross-validation coefficient of determination accuracy for AA (Rcv2=0.867) and TP (Rcv2=0.755) and good external prediction coefficient of determination accuracy (RP2=0.793and0.776, respectively). Guided by the powder and leaf-level analysis, two-band NDSI indices were derived: the AA index of 1735/1626 nm (R2ₚ = 0.687, RPDₚ = 1.788) and the TP index of 1673/1660 nm (R2ₚ = 0.785, RPDₚ = 2.157) approached the PLSR, indicating that much of the useful information for AA and TP is concentrated in this narrow window and can be captured by simple, interpretable indices potentially suitable for in-field sensing, pending validation across multiple sites, seasons, and management conditions.
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INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
·
2026
·
IF 6.4
Huili Cui,Zhu Liu,Kongze Wei,Jia Yu,Lei Wang,Changhao Chen,Jie Deng,Junyan Zhu,Chaoling Wei,Yue Fei
Varietal character is a key factor in determining the flavor and quality of tea. Lu’an Guapian (LAGP) is a historical Chinese green tea, yet it lacks a representative elite cultivar. To address this, we explored the varietal characteristics of LAGP processed from the recently bred elite cultivar ‘Jinyu 1’ (JY1). Using molecular sensory science and metabolomics, we analyzed its volatile and non-volatile compounds. LAGP possessed from JY1 presents a unique flavor, with floral, coconut-like, and citrus-like aromas, along with a fresh and mellow taste. This aroma was attributed to high contents of (Z) -jasmone, decanal, 1-nonanol, methyl jasmonate, δ -decalactone, β -ionone, geraniol and jasmine lactone. High levels of theanine and a low content of bitter amino acids contribute to its taste. This study confirms that JY1 is a high-quality source material for producing premium-grade LAGP, highlighting the critical role of cultivars in enhancing tea quality and market competitiveness.
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Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture
·
2026
·
IF 5.2
Chen Yao,Li Dongyang,Liu Yan,Cheng Yongjia,Zhang Juan,Li Chaojie,Lei Zhiwei,Yang Wen
Background Plants synthesize and emit a wide variety of volatile compounds that serve different defense-related functions in response to both abiotic and biotic stresses. Results In this study, 1-nonanol was identified as the most active volatile against Epicoccum sorghinum among those co-up-regulated in the tea cultivar of ‘Qianmei 601’ infected by three strains of E. sorghinum. Its antifungal results in vitro indicated that the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were 0.1 mg/mL and 0.15 mg/mL, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, calcofluor whiteand and propidium iodide staining solutions demonstrate that 1-nonanol inhibited the normal growth of E. sorghinum mycelia by affecting the cell membrane and cell wall structure of E. sorghinum mycelia. Additionally, exposure to 1-nonanol resulted in increased levels of intracellular malondialdehyde, soluble proteins, and chitinase, while superoxide dismutase content decreased. Transcriptome analysis revealed that regulatory genes associated with 1-nonanol were involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and fatty acid synthesis pathways. Treatment with 1-nonanol significantly up-regulated genes linked to exo-1,3- β -glucanase and hexokinase, while genes related to chitin synthase, aminophospholipid translocase, 3-oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] synthase, and mitochondrial 2-enoylthioester reductase were down-regulated. Conclusions These results indicate that 1-nonanol disrupts the integrity of cell walls and cell membranes, inhibiting the growth of normal hyphae and potentially causing cell death. This study is the first to confirm that 1-nonanol is a crucial component of the defense-related volatile compounds produced by ‘Qianmei 601’ in response to stress from E. sorghinum . We discussed these results and emphasized the importance of this interaction in plant–microbe interactions. Graphical abstract
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Foods
·
2026
·Vol. 15
·期 16
·2912
·
IF 6
Jing Fu,Xinrui Zhao,Jia Liu,Yusen Yang,Heyuan Jiang
Obesity-related complications have long been significant risk factors threatening human health. Sanhua tea is an instant tea composed ofRosa rugosaThunb.,Jasminum sambac(L.) Ait.,Citrus aurantiumL. var.amaraEngl.,Nelumbo nuciferaGaertn., andLigusticum chuanxiongHort. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Sanhua tea in obese mice. An obesity model was established by feeding C57BL/6J mice a high-fat diet. Mice received intragastric Sanhua tea at doses (500, 1500, and 2500 mg/kg/day) for three weeks. Biochemical analyses indicated that Sanhua tea significantly reduced total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in serum. Sanhua tea also alleviated liver oxidative stress by reducing malondialdehyde levels and regulating the activities of related enzymes. Additionally, Sanhua tea maintained gut microbiota diversity and reshaped microbial composition, reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio, increasing beneficial bacterial communities, and significantly decreasing harmful bacterial communities. Metabolomics analysis revealed that Sanhua tea altered liver metabolites, which were significantly associated with specific gut microbes. These metabolites influenced pathways such as ABC transporters, general metabolic pathways, and central carbon metabolism in cancer, contributing to obesity alleviation. In conclusion, Sanhua tea alleviated obesity symptoms in mice by modulating blood lipid levels, liver metabolism, and gut microbiota.
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Foods
·
2026
·Vol. 15
·期 16
·2876
·
IF 6
Anran Yan,Weiyi Kong,Xinyu Feng,Ning Tang,Fangyuan Fan,Ping Chen,Binggan Lou,Qiang Chu,Ruili Zhang
Flavored teas have gained popularity because they combine sensory appeal with potential health benefits.Ganoderma lucidum(GL) is a promising functional beverage ingredient owing to its high medicinal value. However, its strong fungal off-flavor and bland taste limit consumer acceptance. Yellow tea (YT), characterized by a mild-sweet aroma and mellow mouthfeel developed during sealed yellowing, provides a suitable matrix for moderating the sensory defects of GL. This study designed a blend-brewing strategy, optimizing the YT to GL ratio (2:3,w/w) and comparing covered (CB), standard (SB), and open-topped brewing (OB) methods. SB achieved the most balanced sensory profile. In contrast, CB intensified bitterness and astringency, which were associated with higher concentrations of EGCG, gallic acid, and theobromine, whereas OB produced a relatively flat taste because of insufficient extraction. Brewing also reshaped self-assembled nanoparticles, with CB inducing pronounced aggregation and SB yielding a broader size distribution, smoother surfaces, and more balanced colloidal proteins, catechins, and caffeine. Removing nanoparticles substantially decreased infusion mellowness, supporting a contribution of the NP-enriched fraction to mouthfeel. These findings demonstrate thatGanoderma lucidumyellow tea (GY) blending and brewing method modulate sensory quality through chemical extraction and colloidal nanoparticle organization, providing a practical strategy to improveGanoderma lucidumpalatability and develop functional tea beverages.
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Food Chemistry-X
·
2026
·
IF 9.2
Chen Yang,Minghui Xu,Wei Jiang,Jiaqi Wang,Xu Zhong,Kaikai Wei,Guijie Chen,Qianying Dai,Chuanjian Cui,Ruyan Hou
This study investigated the feasibility of ultrasound-assisted cold brewing (UACB) for enhancing the efficiency of cold-brewed tea production while preserving its sensory qualities (color, aroma, taste). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that UACB promoted tea leaf hydration and disrupted the surface morphology, providing more diffusion channels for metabolites. Metabolomics and quantitative analysis confirmed that UACB achieved higher extraction efficiency than cold-brewed, with alcohols, aldehydes, flavonoids, and chlorophylls exhibiting maximum increases of 3.91, 9.89, 1.53, and 1.43 fold, respectively. After 8 min of UACB, the extraction of major taste compounds such as L-theanine (55.46 μg/mL) and EGCG (72.10 μg/mL) was comparable to that after 1 h cold brewing (56.29 and 64.90 μg/mL, respectively). The rapid leaching of these compounds drives swift formation of floral and bean-like aroma, umami-sweetness, and green color of cold-brewed tea. These findings highlight UACB as an efficient method for enhancing cold-brewed tea production efficiency and quality control.
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Foods
·
2026
·Vol. 15
·期 17
·3085
·
IF 6
Xiao Yang,Song Xu,Ying Tong,Jichu Luo,Xixing Fang,Jiaxing Du,Changyuan Zhou,Guangnian Hu,Bao Yang,Qisong Zhang
(1) Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic perturbations. Although Liubao tea (LBT) has gastroprotective benefits, the precise mechanisms by which LBT extract (LBTE) alleviates UC by orchestrating microbial and metabolic homeostasis remain poorly understood. (2) Methods: A DSS-induced UC mouse model was used to evaluate LBTE efficacy. Serum pharmacochemistry, untargeted metabolomics, 16S rRNA sequencing, and targeted SCFA metabolomics were integrated to characterize absorbable active constituents, metabolic shifts, and gut microbiota landscapes. SCFA- and arachidonic acid metabolism-related targets were validated by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. PGF models and FMT were used to assess the causal role of gut microbiota in LBTE-mediated efficacy. (3) Results: LBTE preserved colon length and mucosal integrity while reducing IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and oxidative stress. It enriched SCFA-producing genera and increased colonic butyric and valeric acids, activating GPR41/GPR109A signaling, upregulating ZO-1 and occludin, and strengthening the intestinal barrier. LBTE also downregulated PTGS2 and ALOX5, restored PTGS1 and CYP3A11, and inhibited NF-κB signaling. These effects were weakened in PGF mice but reproduced by FMT from LBTE-treated donors, confirming microbiota-dependent protection. (4) Conclusions: LBTE may serve as a complementary strategy for UC prevention and management.
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LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2026
·
IF 7.1
Yihui Dai,Xun Chen,Qi Sun,Yaoling Chen,Zhiyi Pan,Yali Zhang,Jianhua Li,Bingbing Cao,Andong Qiu,Xiaoqiang Chen
Tea seed starch films incorporating EGCG and chitosan were developed and characterized • EGCG improved the UV–vis barrier and antioxidant properties of blend films • Chitosan improved mechanical and surface hydrophobicity of blend films • The blend films can be used for fruit preservation. The growing demand for sustainable food packaging has spurred interest in starch-based films. In this study, tea seed starch-based films incorporating epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and chitosan were developed and systematically evaluated as potential food packaging materials. The film-forming solutions exhibited shear-thinning behavior, producing blend films with thicknesses ranging from 0.054 to 0.089 mm, and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed abundant non-covalent interactions among starch, EGCG, and chitosan. The microstructure showed aggregation and fracture in the cross-section of blend films containing EGCG and chitosan, but with reduced surface roughness. The color and optical tests demonstrated that EGCG significantly enhanced the UV-blocking property of the film, while chitosan primarily influenced its apparent color and transparency. Adjusting the EGCG/chitosan ratio effectively modulated the film’s hydration and surface properties, leading to markedly improved tensile strength (from 3.11 MPa to 16.28 MPa) and elongation at break (from 71.10% to 109.40%). Further study confirmed that the blend film exhibited slow release of EGCG and desirable antioxidant properties in both aqueous and ethanol media, features that could effectively prevent fruit browning. These findings indicate the potential of tea seed starch-based films functionalized with EGCG and chitosan as promising active packaging materials for food preservation.
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Journal of Fungi
·
2026
·Vol. 12
·期 5
·354
·
IF 4.3
Yutao Zhou,Jiahao Xu,Chang Su,Weina Wu,Fengping Yi
Candida albicansis a common opportunistic pathogen. Long-term use of azole antifungals faces challenges like resistance, necessitating novel agents. Tea tree oil (TTO), a natural broad-spectrum antimicrobial, shows promise, but its molecular mechanisms, particularly concerning novel cell death pathways, require clarification. This study comprehensively evaluated the antifungal mechanism of TTO againstC. albicansusing transcriptomics. Antifungal susceptibility assays were conducted to assess the effects of TTO and its components (4-terpineol, terpenes, and γ-pinene) on the growth ofC. albicanshyphae and biofilms. Fluorescent labeling and biochemical analysis were employed to detect ferroptosis markers. Transcriptomic results indicate that TTO induces 423 differentially expressed genes and systematically inhibits the development ofC. albicanshyphae through mechanisms such as oxidative stress, iron homeostasis disruption, disruption of cell wall integrity, and interference with ergosterol metabolism. Notably, the significant enrichment of redox enzyme activity and iron ion binding functions, along with changes in the glutathione metabolic pathway, suggest that ferroptosis may be involved in this process. Subsequent studies revealed that the compound 4-pinene most effectively inhibits the pathogenicity ofC. albicansby suppressing its adhesion, hyphae formation, and biofilm formation, whereas terpinene induces the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increases lipid peroxidation inC. albicans; furthermore, following treatment with an iron-mediated apoptosis inhibitor, terpinene enhances the viability of the treatedC. albicanscells.
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