Quality components identification and formation analysis of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) flower beverages from three cultivars

The tea flower has a wide utilization value and contains tea polyphenols, amino acids and other substances, which can be processed into beverages. However, the whole regulatory network of the quality components in tea flowers is still unclear, and the processing techniques of tea flower beverages needs to be optimized. Here, the dynamic changes of main components in tea flowers at three developmental stages from three cultivars were basically grasped. Besides, the biosynthetic regulatory network of main components in tea flowers was preliminarily constructed. The expressions and possible interaction effects of 144 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) screened out during the development of tea flowers showed that these genes might regulate the components contents in tea flowers and provide a molecular mechanism for the synthesis of the components. In addition, the sensory evaluation and main components determination of tea flower beverages made through different processing techniques were carried out to explore the effects of processing techniques on the quality of tea flower beverages. It was showed that the tea flowers at the white bud stage and the drying technique were more suitable for making tea flower beverages with high quality.