A Study on Physiological Character of Fresh Tea Leaves in Different Cold-Resistant Varieties简

In order to reveal the cold resistant mechanism of tea plant,two varieties with different cold resistances were studied.The activities of catalase （CAT）,peroxidase （POD）,superoxide dismutase （SOD） and polyphenol oxidase （PPO） were investigated,and the contents of soluble protein,sugar and malondialdehyde （MDA） were determined in fresh tea leaves in the autumn.The results showed that the activities of POD and the content of soluble sugar were both much higher in the variety with strong cold resistance,and the content of soluble protein was associated with the cold resistance,while the cold resistance of the plant was not related with the activities of the CAT,SOD and PPO,and the content of MDA.It is considered that the activity of POD and contents of soluble sugar could be used as indicators to identify the cold resistance of tea varieties.     

Applications of Green Tea Extract in Bakery Products

Green tea extract （GTE） is a rich source of tea catechins with antioxidative,anticarcinogenic and antiarteriosclerotic activities and it has been applied in food such as bakery products to provide health benefits and extend the shelf life.This review outlines the stability of green tea catechins during baking process of bakery products supplemented with GTE and the effects of GTE on the functional properties,sensory properties,physical characteristics and Maillard reaction of bakery products.     

Studies on Umami Taste of Tea

Umami is one of the five basic tastes and an important taste attribute of green tea.Amino acids are major components contributing to umami taste and the top three amino acids in tea are theanine,glutarnic acid and aspartic acid.Trace of umami taste components adenosine monophosphate （AMP） and guanosine monophosphate （GMP） were detected in tea.Levels of umami taste components varied with tea cultivar,environmental conditions,fertilizer and processing method.The taste threshold of amino acids differentiated greatly and its DOT （dose over threshold） is an important indicator evaluating its contribution to umami taste.     

Tea Seed and Its Bioactive Functions

Tea seed is a byproduct in tea production and also a source of nutritional and bioactive compounds.There have been studies showing that extracts of tea seeds offered many physiological functions including anti-inflammatory,anti-oxidant,anti-tumor,anti-obesity,hepatoprotective and gastroprotective effects.The tea seed oil is also an acceptable biodiesel and the saponin-rich tea seed meal can be used as vermicide to expel earthworms from the soil of golf courses and sports fields.The bioactive functions of tea seed extracts and their potential uses in agricultural and industrial sectors were reviewed in the present paper.     

Fluoride in Tea and Its Risk Assessment

Tea plant absorbs from soil a large amount of fluorine （F） which is accumulated in leaf,resulting in elevated F concentration in tea.It is a controversial topic whether the fluoride in tea is associated with fluorosis.The research advances in F variation of various kinds of tea,factors influencing F level in tea and the associated health risk assessment were reviewed in the present paper.The F level in tea increases with the maturity of the tea leaf.Brick tea had a high F content because it was prepared using mature shoots and old tea leaves as raw material.Some low grade UK supermarket economy teas contained elevated F comparable to the Chinese brick tea.Tea F level is also affected by tea cultivar,soil condition,tea processing method and tea infusion preparation method.     

Study on the Retention Rate of Green Tea Catechins Components and Tea Polyphenol by Different Processing Technology

The aim of this research was to explore the effect of fixation,rolling,and drying processing technology on the retention rate of green tea catechins components and tea polyphenol.Different fixation processes （rotary drum-firing,microwave,steam-blasting）,rolling process （weight of rolling,gently press rolling and traditional rolling）,drying process （stove drying,roasting dehydration,baked fried drying） were adopted.The effect of different tea processing technology on the retention rate of catechins component and tea polyphenol was analyzed.It showed that the microwave fixation process,gently press rolling process,baked fried dry process were beneficial to keep high levels of EGCG,C,EGC,EC,ECG.     

Bacterial Community in Different Populations of Rice Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens （St~l）

The structures of bacterial communities in the brown planthopper （BPH） Nilaparvata lugens （St~l） from different geographic and resistant virulent populations were analyzed by using denatured gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）. Results showed that the bacterial communities in BPH nymph from the first to the fifth instars varied with nymphal growth and development. The bacterial communities in the first-instar BPH nymph were similar to those in adults. Nine geographic BPH populations were divided into three groups based on the cluster analysis of DGGE fingerprint. The first group was from the Philippines; the second group was from Thailand and Hainan, Yunnan and Zhejiang provinces of China; and the third group was from Vietnam and Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of China. BPH populations adapted to different resistant rice varieties. The BPH populations from Mudgo （with resistant gene Bphl） and ASD7 （with resistant gene bph2） differed with those of the susceptible rice variety TNI.     

Effect of Drinking Green Tea on Mental State of Humans

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world,among which green tea is most common in China and Korea.Green tea constituents possess a great value to human health wherein lots of clinical studies and investigations were conducted by researchers and experts.However,there are still increasing demands and interest on the health properties of green tea,especially its effects on mental state of human brains.Based on the collated clinical studies,green tea was used to improve mental alertness and thinking.Thus,higher consumption of green tea was associated with a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment.This review summarizes the effects of drinking green tea on the mental state of human brains.Green tea contains a unique set of L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate （EGCG） that possess biological activities in antioxidant,anti-memory loss,and antiproliferative assays potentially relevant to the prevention and treatment of various forms of brain damage.Theanine in green tea may play a role in reducing stress.The use of highly innovative method of reading and mental behavior of the human brain＇s response with the intake of green tea thru neuroimaging was also covered in this review.     

Advances in Preparation of Theanine

Theanine is an important component affecting tea quality and it has many health benefits for human being.Chemical synthesis of theanine had high productivity,but its application needed efficient raceme resolution technique.Although only L-theanine will be synthesized through exogenous/endogenous enzymes or microbe fermentation,low yield is the main shortage of this technique.Extraction of theanine from tea leaves is a conventional and efficient preparation technique,and highly purified theanine can be achieved when extraction and separation procedures are suitable.     

Yuexiang Longjing Tea and Its Quality Characteristics

Shengzhou is a major tea producing county in China and the major tea produced in Shengzhou is Yuexiang Longjing tea.Environment and tea cultivar are two important factors influencing tea quality.Chemical composition of tea samples prepared using materials from cultivars ‘Zhenong-117＇ and ‘ Baiye-1＇ were investigated.It showed that concentrations of total amino acids and catechins were more than 4.4％ and 129 mg/g respectively,suggesting that Yuexiang Longjing had a good quality potential.     

Effect of Different Drying Methods on the Volatile Compounds Jinmudan Oolong Tea

Jinmudan,a new tea variety from Fujian Province has an excellent quality with a unique aroma like magnolia frogrance.To monitor the changes in the tea volatile compounds during the Jinmudan Oolong tea manufacturing （drying） process,the volatiles of tea samples were extracted and analyzed.Characteristic volatile compounds in Jinmudan Oolong tea were nerolidol,α-famesene,linolenic acid,palmitic acid,indole,phenylacetaldehyde,cisjasmone,β-phenylethanol,etc.The content of nerolidol was the highest in four tested samples.The composition of the volatile compounds in microwave drying sample was simple,but its concentration was high,in which the main volatile compounds were alcohols and esters.The processing with combination of traditional drying craft and modem aroma-improvement technique could obviously improve the tea aroma,especially in level of epoxy linalool and jasmine lactone.     

The 30-Day Oral Administration Studies of Liposoluble Tea Polyphenols in Rats

Tea polyphenols is a natural antioxidant with a variety of biological activity.However,the weak liposolubility and low bioavailability limit their application.As a result,structural modification of tea polyphenols comes into being.The prepared liposoluble tea polyphenols was suggested as a good candidate antioxidant for edible-oil and fats products.But,safety studies on liposoluble tea polyphenols are limited.The objective of the present study was conducted to synthesize liposoluble tea polyphenols and evaluate its toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats on oral administration at dietary levels of 1,2 and 4％ for 30 days.There were no adverse effects on general condition,growth,food intake,feed conversion efficiency,haematology parameters,clinical chemistry values and organ weights.High-dose males exhibited a higher haemoglobin concentration and a lower alanine aminotransferase levels,and high-dose females showed a lower albumin and globulin levels.These slight changes were considered of no toxicological significance.Necropsy and histopathology findings revealed no treatment-related changes in any of the organs.Thus,the results allowed us to conclude that the liposoluble tea polyphenols properly utilized in the oral administration could be devoid of any toxic risk.     

Seed Length Controlled by Same Locus in Four Different AA Genome Species of Genus Oryza

To broaden the genetic basis and overcome the yield plateau in Asian cultivated rice, the exploitation and utilization of favorable alleles from rice species with the AA genome has become important and urgent in modern breeding programs. Four different interspecific populations were used to detect quantitative trait locus （QTL） for seed length, including a BC4F2 population derived from Oryza glumaepatula crossed with Dianjingyou 1 （a japonica cultivar）, a BC4F2 population derived from O. nivara crossed with Dianjingyou 1, a BCzF1 population derived from a cross between O. Iongistaminata and RD23 （an indica cultivar）, and a BCsF1 population derived from a cross between O. glaberrima and Dianjingyou 1. The QTLs for seed length in four different populations were termed as SL-3a, SL-3b, SL-3c and SL-3d, respectively. They had good collinearity and accounted for 49% to 60% of the phenotypic variations. Sequencing data indicated that four QTLs were different alleles of GS3 which were responsible for the seed length variation between O. sativa and its four AA genome relatives. These results will be valuable for confirming the evolution of GS3 and also be helpful for rice breeding.     

A Study on Thought of Tea of Hanjae Yi-mok＇s Da-bu

The Da-bu of Hanjae Lee mok （1471-1498） is known as an original masterpiece,which is predominantly documented in Korean tea books.He had always spared no effort to put Confucianists＇ theories and thoughts into practice during his 28-year career.Da-bu tea magnificently reflected his concepts of Confucianism in conjunction with tea-drinking activities.The main contents of Da-bu have included written authors,tea species and production,landscape of tea cultivation,tea plants and leaves,ways of tea-drinking and three-grade tea,tea song of seven cups,5 merits and 6 moralities of tea,benefits of tea-drinking,tea comprehension,etc.According to the views of contents,tea of Hanjae Leemok is the only partner with which we can share life and it can also be beneficial to healthy diets.Not only does it have become part of our daily life,but also be a medicine for our physical and mental disease.He composed the tea song of seven cups,which sufficiently expressed a real practice of the pursued ideal state of Confucianism and Taoism.He also promoted a drinking tea for health enrichment of Confucianists.According to the analytical results of Da-bu,Hanjae＇s tea has recognizably become the personally real practice of Confucianism and state.He had reached the enlightenment for the state of birth and death.After consuming tea,his body and mind immediately changed to the state of joys and wonderland,and also he illustrated that this feeling is not a one-off state,it always comes out whenever drinking.Therefore,based on Hanjae Lee mok,tea drinking is not only the regiment for healthy benefits,but also it is a training method,＂ Dado in My Heart＂,for individuals to train their mind,body,and morality.     

Tea Breeding in Japan

Tea breeding in Japan started around 116 years ago,and to date,more than 110 cultivars have been developed and released.Seedling plants were uprooted and rapidly replaced with new clonal cultivars after 1970.At present,more than 95％ of the tea gardens in Japan grow improved clonal cultivars.Although the cultivation of the ＂Yabukita＂ variety had expanded and contributed to approximately 76％ of the tea grown,this excessive plantation resulted in some serious problems in the cultivation and management of the tea industry after 1990.Therefore,after 2000,new programs have been initiated to breed superior varieties through the use of various genetic resources and DNA markers.     

Studies on Bitter and Astringent Taste of Tea

Bitterness and astringency are important sensory properties for evaluating quality of tea.The research advances in the mechanism of tea astringency and bitterness,astringent and bitter tasting components and their evaluations were reviewed in the present paper.The astringency arises from the interaction of salivary proteins with polyphenols which depends on the structure of both the polyphenols and the proteins.Bitter and astringent compounds in tea include phenolic acids,catechins and their oxidized products,flavonol glycosides and proanthocyanidins.There are many factors influencing on astringency and bitterness including the interaction between taste substances,repeated ingestion,saliva flow and its composition and acidity.Sensory assessment and instrumental evaluation were used in the evaluation of astringency.     

Volatile Flavor Components and the Body Weights of Rats in the Green Tea Added Miner Ingredients

In order to change for the good flavor in green tea of middle or low grade,roast naked barley （miner ingredient） was added to it.To make tea having functional property,mixed roast naked barley-green tea with one medicinal herb （MH,miner ingredient）.This study was performed to investigate the effect of drinking extracts of naked barley-MH-green tea （A group） and adlay-Angelica gigas Nakai-green tea （B group） on the body weights of rats,and volatile flavor components of best effective extract on weight reduction.Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into six groups were fed five different green tea extracts for 8 weeks.The result obtained in the experiment indicated that the change of body weights of rats was affected by A group,B group and others.A group showed highest reduction rate of body weights （36.40％）.Reduction rate of body weights on the B group （10.10％） was much lower than A group （36.40％）.Aroma compounds were extracted by the SDE method.The concentrated aroma extracts were analyzed and identified by GC and GC-MS.The main aroma components of the green tea blended with naked barley and MH were 12 pyrazines having roasty note,methyl butanals having sweet note,hexanal having briskness greenish note,and nerolidol and3-ionone having floral note.     

Benefits of Daily Intake Tea on Human Health

The recent research achievements about the mechanisms of beneficial health effects of tea polyphenols and the epidemiological investigation on anti-cancer,anti-cardiovascular diseases,and anti-obesity through tea consumption were reviewed.It is proved that reactive oxygen species is the main reason to induce cell mutation,DNA damage,obesity,high blood pressure and many kinds of cancers.Tea catechins and theaflavins have excellent bioactivity on scavenging ROS due to their characteristic structure feature of phenolic hydroxyl group,which means drinking tea could prevent diseases.Epidemidogical investigations also showed that tea consumption could reduce the risk of lung cancer,gastric cancer,bladder cancer,and so on.However,the frequency of tea drinking or tea consumption amounts significantly affected the prevention efficiency.The epidemiologic investigations also find that drink green tea,especial black tea is useful to modify the cardiovascular diseases.In vivo and vitro tests showed that tea supplement could moderate the metabolism of blood lipid and prevent obesity.These indicated that tea and tea extracts might reduce the risk of many diseases.     

Changes on Characteristic Components During Shoots Development in Camellia Sinensis

Fresh leaves of tea cultivar Shuchazao were harvested from five different stages of shoot development including single-bud （SB）,one leaf and one bud （BL1）,two leaves and one bud （BL2）,three leaves and one bud （BL3） and mature leaves （ML,including five leaves）.The contents of tea-specific components,including caffeine,catechins and amino acids,in tea leaves were extracted and analyzed using the HPLC technique.The results showed that the content of caffeine in the buds in BL3 stage was generally the highest,while it did not change much in SB,BL1 and BL2 stages.The content of caffeine in the leaves at the same leaf-age was similar in five different development stages.The total contents of catechins in the first leaf were higher than that in the buds in all five development stages,and it was the highest in the first leaf at BL1 stage,but it decreased with the increase of the leaf-age.As far as the monomeric catechins were concerned,non-ester type catechins and ester type catechins can be detected in the buds or leaves in the five development stages.The majority of catechins were epigallocatechingallate （EGCG）,which showed a similar variation tendency as that of total catechins.However,the contents of non-ester type catechins such as epicatechingallate （EGC）,epicatechin （EC） and gallocatechin （GC） were higher in buds than in leaves,which were opposite to the content variation trends of ester type catechins in the course of shoot development.Theanine was the major amino acids in all development stages of tender shoots,and its content in the stage of single-bud was the highest.The content of theanine in buds was three or four times higher than in leaves,and the older the leaf-age was,the less theanine existed in the leaves.