Fungal Isolates from a Pu‐Erh Type Tea Fermentation and Their Ability to Convert Tea Polyphenols to Theabrownins

Abstract The natural microbiota involved in the fermentation influence the quality and taste of fully postfermented teas such as China's Pu‐erh tea. Ten microbial isolates representing 6 species were recovered from a solid‐state fermentation of a Pu‐erh type tea. The isolates were Aspergillus tubingensis , Aspergillus marvanovae , Rhizomucor pusillus , Rhizomucor tauricus , Aspergillus fumigatus , and Candida mogii . With the exception of A. marvanovae and C. mogii , all these microorganisms have been previously reported in solid‐state fermentations of native Pu‐erh tea. The ability of the isolates for converting the tea polyphenols to bioactive theabrownins in infusions of sun‐dried green tea leaves in a submerged fermentation process was subsequently investigated. All isolates except C. mogii TISTR 5938 effectively produced theabrownins in a 4‐d fermentation in shake flasks at 40 °C, 250 rpm. A. tubingensis TISTR 3646, A. tubingensis TISTR 3647, A. marvanovae TISTR 3648, and A. fumigatus TISTR 3654 produced theabrownins at particularly high levels of 6.5, 12.4, 11.1, and 8.4 g/L, respectively.