Metabolomics and bioactivity of low-caffeine, high-theobromine, and high-polyphenol Camellia yungkianensis (RJC) tea

作者：Hao Wu, Ying Chen, Ye Cui, Qingyan Ren, Zhiwen Ge, Xifu Wang, Xuemei Yang, Jiajia Meng, Meili Chen, Yinping Liao, Zhiping Chen, Meifeng Li, Jian Zhao, Mingzhi Zhu, Jianjun Liu, Taolin Chen · 发表于：LWT · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.lwt.2025.117954 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Tea Polyphenols and Effects、Coffee research and impacts、Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities

: Camellia yungkianensis (RJC) is a special wild tea germplasm characterized with high polyphenol and theobromine and low caffeine contents. However, the bioactive properties of RJC-derived teas remain uncharacterized. This study characterizes the metabolomic profile and bioactivity of black tea (BT) and white tea (WT) from Camellia yungkianensis (RJC) compared to conventional teas using standardized processing and analytical methods. RJC-BT and RJC-WT exhibited distinct floral and fruity aroma profiles identified via sensory evaluation. A total of 833 non-volatile metabolites across 15 structural categories were identified in metabolomic analyses, showing significant differences in metabolite abundance compared to other teas. RJC demonstrated superior antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities, demonstrated by in vitro assays. Higher theobromine, hydrolysable tannins, C, GC, and flavone levels in RJC were positively associated with elevated theobromine and flavones with these bioactivities ( p < 0.05). These findings suggest RJC's potential as a functional tea and support its development for specialized markets.