Metabolomic analysis of volatile and non-volatile compounds in mulberry leaf white tea processed with different withering methods
Baolin Han, Yihan Wei, Rong Fan, Shufan Zhang, Xiaohu Ren, Weitao Zhou, Dandan Zhang, Qiang Xu, Minghong Bian
Abstract
With economic development and the diversification and improvement of consumption patterns, there is a growing concern about food health. Mulberry leaves, a kind of natural resource with the homology of medicinal and edible properties, contain various bioactive compounds. In this study, the key active constituents, including tea polyphenols, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), in mulberry leaf white tea were characterized after different withering methods. Additionally, the effects of different withering methods on volatile and non-volatile compounds were analyzed using metabolomics. The findings indicated that non-volatile metabolites were primarily upregulated across all withering methods. Metabolic pathway analysis identified starch and sucrose metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism as the key pathways influenced. • The study comparatively analyzed the content of active substances in mulberry leaf white tea after three different withering treatments. • Sensory evaluation and analysis of mulberry leaf white tea treated with three different withering methods. • Metabolomics studies were conducted on different processed mulberry leaf white tea to analyze the impact of volatile and non-volatile compounds. • Provide preliminary theoretical basis for the development and efficacy research of mulberry leaf white tea health products.