Abstract: Tea is one of the most widely consumed soft beverages. Tea beverages more excellent in flavor and formation of less deposits are more preferred. With the development of modern biotechnology, the microbial enzymes are applied in the extraction process of tea leaves. The cell walls of tea leaf and proteins are easy to be hydrolyzed, and the formation of precipitates can be avoided. The extract yields of polyphenols, thearubigins and amino acids were increased. And the tea qualities including color, odour and flavor improved accordingly. In this article, the hydrolytic enzymes including cellulase, pectinase, tannase and protease are introduced in detail, and their applications in tea extraction process are reviewed. The prospects of complex enzymes system in tea extraction process are also previewed.

Key words: cellulose, pectinase, tea leaves extraction process, hydrolyzation, compound enzymes system