Carotenoid-Derived Aroma Compounds in Tea

The effects of the tea manufacturing process (heat-drying, pan-firing, solar-drying and fermentation) on the production of carotenoid-derived aroma compounds are discussed. Several carotenoid-derived aroma compounds are important in the development of fine tea flavor. In the present study, we analyzed the volatile components of tea infusions using a brewed extraction method and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). An analysis of aroma patterns showed that the concentrates prepared by the brewed extraction method are quite different from those obtained by the steam distillation/extraction (SDE) method. Extracts of black tea that were prepared using the brewed extraction method contained only dihydroactinidiolide and theaspirone as carotenoid-derived aroma compounds. The photo-oxidation effect of solar-drying was also examined using a model experiment.