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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Tea Tree: Cultivation, Breeding and Their Processing Innovation
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Tea Tree: Cultivation, Breeding and Their Processing Innovation

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinals, Herbs, and Specialty Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 May 2025 | Viewed by 6219

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Kunbo Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Horticultural College, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: catechins synthesis; transcriptional regulation; tea aroma
Prof. Dr. Jian Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: biosynthesis of tea secondary metabolites
Prof. Dr. Liang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Interests: tea; chemistry; flavor; fermentation; taste; polyphenols
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ligui Xiong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Horticultural College, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: the role and biosynthesis of tea secondary metabolites
Dr. Qin Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: tea aroma; tea processing; metabolomics; taste
Dr. Juan Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: theanine biosynthesis and metabolism; leaf color variation of tea plant

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue, “Tea Tree: Cultivation, Breeding and Their Processing Innovation”, is to present innovative studies, approaches, and techniques that have been successful in cultivation and breeding as well as their processing. Tea chemistry relating to major and minor components, as well as their sensory and flavor aspects, will also be considered. Tea physiology (biochemistry, physiology, genetics, etc.) at diverse levels of integration (molecular, subcellular, cellular, organ, etc.) will also be considered.

Prof. Dr. Kunbo Wang
Prof. Dr. Jian Zhao
Prof. Dr. Liang Zhang
Dr. Ligui Xiong
Dr. Qin Li
Dr. Juan Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tea plant
  • cultivation
  • breeding
  • tea processing
  • secondary metabolism
  • tea biochemistry
  • tea quality
  • tea flavor

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6741 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Assessment of the Correlation Between Ancient Tea Garden Soil Chemical Properties and Tea Quality
by Houqiao Wang, Wenxia Yuan, Qiaomei Wang, Yuxin Xia, Wang Chun, Haoran Li, Guochen Peng, Wei Huang and Baijuan Wang
Horticulturae 2024, 10(11), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10111207 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 400
Abstract
Understanding the correlation between soil chemical properties and tea quality is essential for the comprehensive management of ancient tea gardens. However, the specific links between these factors in ancient tea gardens remain underexplored. This study analyzes the soil chemical properties of four distinct [...] Read more.
Understanding the correlation between soil chemical properties and tea quality is essential for the comprehensive management of ancient tea gardens. However, the specific links between these factors in ancient tea gardens remain underexplored. This study analyzes the soil chemical properties of four distinct research regions in Nanhua County to explore their effects on key chemical components in ancient tea garden teas, providing a scientific basis for improving the quality of ancient tea garden teas through soil management. Employing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), the chemical components of tea and the chemical properties of the soil were meticulously quantified. Following these measurements, the integrated fertility index (IFI) and the potential ecological risk index (PERI) were evaluated and correlation analysis was conducted. The results revealed that ancient tea garden tea quality is closely linked to soil chemical properties. Soil’s total nitrogen (TN), total sulfur (TS), and available potassium (AK) negatively correlate with tea’s catechin gallate (CG) component and AK also with polyphenols. Most other soil properties show positive correlations with tea components. The research also evaluated soil heavy metals’ IFI and PERI. IFI varied significantly among regions. Hg’s high pollution index indicates ecological risks; Cd in Xiaochun (XC) region poses a moderate risk. PERI suggests moderate risk for XC and Banpo (BP), with other areas classified as low risk. Implementing reasonable fertilization and soil amelioration measures to enhance soil fertility and ensure adequate supply of key nutrients will improve the quality of ancient tea gardens. At the same time, soil management measures should effectively control heavy metal pollution to ensure the quality and safety of tea products. Insights from this study are crucial for optimizing soil management in ancient tea gardens, potentially improving tea quality and sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Tree: Cultivation, Breeding and Their Processing Innovation)
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18 pages, 3026 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Different Grades of Innovative Tanyang Congou Black Tea (Minkehong) Based on Metabolomics and Sensory Evaluation
by Zi-Wei Zhou, Qing-Yang Wu, Li-Qin Chen, Shu-Ling Ruan, Zi-Yu Yang, Yun Sun and Reheman Aikebaier
Horticulturae 2024, 10(4), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10040374 - 8 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1291
Abstract
Innovative Tangyang Congou black tea, also known as Minkehong black tea (MKH), is of high quality and hence has gained a reputation on the market. In this study, standard samples of MKH were used as the research material, and the results of sensory [...] Read more.
Innovative Tangyang Congou black tea, also known as Minkehong black tea (MKH), is of high quality and hence has gained a reputation on the market. In this study, standard samples of MKH were used as the research material, and the results of sensory evaluation showed that the overall quality of MKH decreased along with the downgrading. The radar chart showed a strong association between higher grades and specific aroma and taste character. Based on the detection of ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS) and related analysis, the content of both the ester-type catechins and non-ester catechins decreased along with the downgrading, and the details of their change trends were revealed. The content and dynamic changes in caffeine were also investigated. A total of 19 kinds of amino acids (AAs) were clustered; among them, 4 kinds of AAs, namely, Thr, Leu, Asp, and Ile, significantly contributed to the taste of the tea. Notably, the content of Thr had the highest correlation with the grade of MKH, and the correlation coefficient was 0.991 (p < 0.01). According to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) detection and analysis, a total of 861 kinds of volatile compounds were detected, the aroma-active compounds in different grades were selected, and an aroma wheel of MKH was constructed. Our results found that non-volatile and volatile compounds not only contribute to defining the level of MKH standard samples but also provide a chemical basis for the measurement of flavour and quality of MKH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Tree: Cultivation, Breeding and Their Processing Innovation)
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16 pages, 3463 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of Selenium-Responsive MicroRNAs in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis L. O. Kuntze)
by Dan Cao, Juan Li, Linlong Ma, Yanli Liu, Jianan Huang and Xiaofang Jin
Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1278; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121278 - 28 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1259
Abstract
Anadequate selenium (Se) intake can enhance human immunity and prevent diseases development. About one billion people in the world have varying degrees of Se deficiency in the world. Organic Se from tea infusion is the most easily absorbed and utilized Se form by [...] Read more.
Anadequate selenium (Se) intake can enhance human immunity and prevent diseases development. About one billion people in the world have varying degrees of Se deficiency in the world. Organic Se from tea infusion is the most easily absorbed and utilized Se form by the human body. Therefore the production of tea plants rich in Se is an effective way to increase Se dietary intake, but there are few studies on the involvement and functions of miRNAs in the responses of tea plants after Se treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous (non-coding) single-stranded RNAs that play crucial roles in regulating plant nutrient element acquisition and accumulation. Physiological analysis discovered that the total Se content in tea plant roots markedly increased under 0.05 mmol·L−1 selenite treatment, with no toxicity symptoms in the leaves and roots. To screen the miRNAs responsive to Se treatment in tea plants, miRNA libraries were constructed from the tea cultivar “Echa 1”. Using high-throughput sequencing, 455 known miRNAs and 203 novel miRNAs were identified in this study. In total, 13 miRNAs were selected that were differentially expressed in tea plants’ roots under 0.05 mmol·L−1 selenite treatments. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs mainly belonged to the metabolic process, membrane, and catalytic activity ontologies. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis suggested that beta-alanine, taurine, hypotaurine, and sulfur metabolism were the most enriched pathways among the differentially expressed miRNAs, implying their involvement in Se accumulation and tolerance in tea plants. Further characterization of the data revealed that the number of novel miRNAs was comparable to that of known miRNAs, indicating that novel miRNAs significantly contributed to the regulation of Se accumulation in tea plant roots. Thisstudy lays the foundation for further research on the regulatory mechanisms underlying Se accumulation and tolerance in tea plants, providing targets to molecular breeding strategies for improving tea nutritional properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Tree: Cultivation, Breeding and Their Processing Innovation)
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15 pages, 4896 KiB  
Article
The WRKY Transcription Factor CsWRKY70 Regulates EGCG Biosynthesis by Affecting CsLAR and CsUGT84A Expressions in Tea Leaves (Camellia sinensis)
by Xiaofeng Song, Xiangxiang Huang, Qin Li, Haiyan Lin, Silei Bai, Mingzhi Zhu, Juan Li and Kunbo Wang
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010120 - 16 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2137
Abstract
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is an important contributor to bitterness and astringency in summer tea leaves; however, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of EGCG biosynthesis remain unclear. In this study, EGCG content was significantly decreased after foliar spraying with nano-Se fertilizers in tea leaves. A [...] Read more.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is an important contributor to bitterness and astringency in summer tea leaves; however, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of EGCG biosynthesis remain unclear. In this study, EGCG content was significantly decreased after foliar spraying with nano-Se fertilizers in tea leaves. A WRKY transcription factor (TF), CsWRKY70, was found to be positively related to EGCG content. The open reading frame of CsWRKY70 was 891 bp encoding 296 amino acids. CsWRKY70 is localized to the nucleus and has transcriptional activation activity. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that CsWRKY70 can directly bind to the promoters of CsLAR and CsUGT84A containing W-box (5′-C/TTGACT/C-3′) sequences. Dual-luciferase reporter experiment verified that CsWRKY70 activated CsLAR and CsUGT84A expressions in tobacco leaves. In summary, these results demonstrated that CsWRKY70 may reduce EGCG biosynthesis by inhibiting the CsLAR and CsUGT84A expressions under nano-Se treatment. Our findings provide new insight into the regulatory mechanism of WRKY TFs involved in catechin biosynthesis and offer a theoretical basis for breeding low or high EGCG content tea cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tea Tree: Cultivation, Breeding and Their Processing Innovation)
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