Liu Shengchuan, Wei Jie, Yang Yaqi, Lin Kaiqin, Chen Zhixiong, Xu Lin, He Guoju, Yan Donghai
The aim of this study is to explore the change characteristics of the main biochemical components of albino tea plant (Camellia sinensis ‘Zhonghuang 3’) (‘ZH3’) in different months and their relationship with the main meteorological factors. The evergreen strain ‘Taicha 15’ (‘TC15’) was used as a control. We determined and analyzed the content of the main biochemical components in the two germplasms sampled in five different months of 2019. The data of the half-month mean temperature before sampling (HMMTBS), half-monthly mean precipitation before sampling (HMMPBS) and half-monthly mean relative humidity before sampling (HMMRHBS) were collected from the tested areas. The changes of the main biochemical components in the two germplasms and their correlation with three meteorological factors were observed. Water extracts and caffeine contents of the two germplasms were close in each month. The caffeine content was stable in ‘ZH3’, while had a significant difference in ‘TC15’. The tea polyphenols content in ‘ZH3’ and ‘TC15’ was July> October> August> May> April and July> May> October> August> April, respectively. The free amino acids content of ‘ZH3’ and ‘TC15’ was April> May> August> October> July and April> May> August> July> October, respectively. Tea polyphenols content of ‘ZH3’ was lower than that of ‘TC15’, while the free amino acids content of ‘ZH3’ was higher than that of ‘TC15’ in each month. The range of free amino acids and tea polyphenols contents in ‘ZH3’ was 2.6%-7.2% and 9.2%-23.2%, respectively, which was much higher than those of ‘TC15’ (2.2%-3.8%, 14.7%-25.4%). The water extracts and caffeine content of the two germplasms had no significant correlations with three meteorological factors. The correlation coefficient r of free amino acids content in ‘ZH3’ with HMMTBS, HMMPBS, HMMRHBS was -0.71(P<0.01), -0.69(P<0.01), -0.86(P<0.01), respectively, while that in ‘TC15’ was only significantly and negatively correlated with HMMRHBS (r=-0.74, P<0.01). By means of canonical correlation analysis, the three meteorological factors had less impact on water extracts and caffeine content in the two germplasms, and had little influence on the tea polyphenols content in ‘TC15’. The tea polyphenols to free amino acids in ‘ZH3’ and ‘TC15’ was mostly affected by HMMRHBS and HMMPBS, respectively. The free amino acids and tea polyphenols content in ‘ZH3’ was mainly affected by HMMTBS and HMMPBS, while the influencing degree of HMMTBS was greater. Similar results were observed for free amino acids content in ‘TC15’.