Untargeted Metabolomics and GC-IMS Reveal Quality-Related Differences in Qilan Fresh Tea Leaves Grown in Wuyi and Baisha.
- 1HNU-HSF Collaborative Innovation Laboratory, College of Food Sciences & Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
- 2Hainan University Research Development Office, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
- 3Hainan State Farms Tropical Products Industry Group Co., Ltd., Haikou 570226, China.
Abstract
In this study, fresh leaves of the same Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze cv. Qilan cultivar grown at similar elevations but contrasting latitudes in Wuyishan, Fujian (the 2L-FQ cultivation site), and Baisha, Hainan (the 2L-HQ cultivation site), were systematically compared using environmental characterization, enzyme activity assays, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), and untargeted metabolomics. Black teas produced from the two groups of fresh leaves under identical standardized processing conditions were further evaluated using electronic nose and electronic tongue analyses. Correspondingly, 2L-HQ leaves were longer and wider than 2L-FQ leaves, with higher moisture content and water activity. The lower L*, b*, and chroma values of 2L-HQ, together with a ΔE*ab of 6.54, indicated a darker leaf appearance, which was accompanied by higher chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations. Compared with 2L-FQ, 2L-HQ contained 11.8% more tea polyphenols, 26.4% more soluble polysaccharides, 11.4% more caffeine, and 10.6% more free amino acids. The non-gallated catechins catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, and gallocatechin were significantly enriched in 2L-HQ. DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP antioxidant capacities were also 6.1%, 4.9%, and 2.2% higher in 2L-HQ, respectively. Lipoxygenase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase activities increased by 137.0%, 98.0%, and 93.8%, respectively, whereas β-glucosidase activity remained unchanged. GC-IMS resolved 61 volatile compounds, of which 46 differed significantly between the two origins. 2L-FQ was enriched in several aromatic aldehydes, β-phenyl ethanol, and fruity esters, whereas 2L-HQ contained higher levels of selected alcohols, unsaturated aldehydes, furanic compounds, and lipid-derived esters. Untargeted metabolomics retained 4359 metabolic features, of which 4356 were shared by both groups. After multiple-testing correction, 793 differential metabolic features were identified using VIP > 1, FDR-adjusted p < 0.05, and |log₂FC| > 1, including 420 features with higher abundance and 373 features with lower abundance in 2L-HQ relative to 2L-FQ. These differential features were mainly associated with carbohydrate, amino acid, flavonoid-related, lipid, and cofactor metabolism. Overall, regional cultivation was associated with coordinated differences in leaf morphology, hydration, pigmentation, taste-related composition, antioxidant capacity, oxidative-enzyme potential, volatile fingerprints, and metabolic allocation, providing a data foundation for region-adapted processing of Qilan tea leaves.
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BibTeX
@article{zhong2026untargeted,
title = {{Untargeted Metabolomics and GC-IMS Reveal Quality-Related Differences in Qilan Fresh Tea Leaves Grown in Wuyi and Baisha.}},
author = {Longbin Zhong and Chanyi Xie and Mingchang Yang and Yibo Hu and Tianhang Huan and Zhigang Guang and Xia Xie and Yiyi Yin and Haiming Chen and Rongrong He},
journal = {Foods (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/foods15193478},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883586},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Untargeted Metabolomics and GC-IMS Reveal Quality-Related Differences in Qilan Fresh Tea Leaves Grown in Wuyi and Baisha.
AU - Longbin Zhong
AU - Chanyi Xie
AU - Mingchang Yang
AU - Yibo Hu
AU - Tianhang Huan
AU - Zhigang Guang
AU - Xia Xie
AU - Yiyi Yin
AU - Haiming Chen
AU - Rongrong He
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
JO - Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/foods15193478
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883586
AB - In this study, fresh leaves of the same Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze cv. Qilan cultivar grown at similar elevations but contrasting latitudes in Wuyishan, Fujian (the 2L-FQ cultivation site), and Baisha, Hainan (the 2L-HQ cultivation site), were systematically compared using environmental characterization, enzyme activity assays, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), and untargeted metabolomics. Black teas produced from the two groups of fresh leaves under identical standardized processing conditions were further evaluated using electronic nose and electronic tongue analyses. Correspondingly, 2L-HQ leaves were longer and wider than 2L-FQ leaves, with higher moisture content and water activity. The lower L*, b*, and chroma values of 2L-HQ, together with a ΔE*ab of 6.54, indicated a darker leaf appearance, which was accompanied by higher chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations. Compared with 2L-FQ, 2L-HQ contained 11.8% more tea polyphenols, 26.4% more soluble polysaccharides, 11.4% more caffeine, and 10.6% more free amino acids. The non-gallated catechins catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, and gallocatechin were significantly enriched in 2L-HQ. DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP antioxidant capacities were also 6.1%, 4.9%, and 2.2% higher in 2L-HQ, respectively. Lipoxygenase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase activities increased by 137.0%, 98.0%, and 93.8%, respectively, whereas β-glucosidase activity remained unchanged. GC-IMS resolved 61 volatile compounds, of which 46 differed significantly between the two origins. 2L-FQ was enriched in several aromatic aldehydes, β-phenyl ethanol, and fruity esters, whereas 2L-HQ contained higher levels of selected alcohols, unsaturated aldehydes, furanic compounds, and lipid-derived esters. Untargeted metabolomics retained 4359 metabolic features, of which 4356 were shared by both groups. After multiple-testing correction, 793 differential metabolic features were identified using VIP > 1, FDR-adjusted p < 0.05, and |log₂FC| > 1, including 420 features with higher abundance and 373 features with lower abundance in 2L-HQ relative to 2L-FQ. These differential features were mainly associated with carbohydrate, amino acid, flavonoid-related, lipid, and cofactor metabolism. Overall, regional cultivation was associated with coordinated differences in leaf morphology, hydration, pigmentation, taste-related composition, antioxidant capacity, oxidative-enzyme potential, volatile fingerprints, and metabolic allocation, providing a data foundation for region-adapted processing of Qilan tea leaves.
SN - 2304-8158
ER -