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Journal of Tea Science ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4): 571-586.doi: 10.13305/j.cnki.jts.2025.04.006

• Research Paper • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of Leaf Structure and Biochemical Quality Components of ‘Mayu’ Tea Germplasm Resources

YAN Huiting1,2,5, WANG Yanyan2,5, LU Jianwei1,5, RAO Zilei1,5, LI Yuanyuan1,5, CHANG Runrun1,5, ZHAO Hongyan1,5, YANG Juncong4, ZHANG Lilan4, BAI Bapu4, LU Liping4, BAI Bing3, WANG Baijuan1, GAO Jun1,5,*, LIU Zhiwei1,5,*   

  1. 1. College of TeaβScience, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China;
    2. West Yunnan University of Applied Sciences College of Tea (Pu′er), Pu’er 665000, China;
    3. Lüchun County Green Xin Ecological Tea Co., Ltd., Honghe 662500, China;
    4. Lüchun County Tea Industry Development Center, Honghe 662500, China;
    5. Cultivation Research Laboratory in Yunnan Modern Agricultural Tea Industry System Construction, Kunming 650201, China;
  • Received:2025-02-02 Revised:2025-03-09 Online:2025-08-15 Published:2025-08-15

Abstract: Camellia sinensis var. pubilimba ‘Mayu’ is a dominant tea cultivar in Lüchun County, Yunnan. This study systematically analyzed the leaf anatomical structures and biochemical components of 28 germplasms using C. sinensis var. sinensis (CSS) and C. sinensis var. assamica (CSA) as controls. This study established a comprehensive evaluation system for germplasm resources for the first time. Key findings include: (1) M4 and M5 in the ‘Mayu’ tea group (MY) exhibits higher stomatal density than the controls, with a 30.0% and 10.6% reduction in stomatal area relative to CSS and CSA, respectively. The MY group exhibits unique undulated wax layers in the upper epidermis. (2) Cold resistance evaluation via membership function analysis identifies M4 and M5 germplasms with the highest scores (0.975 and 0.689), while the palisade-to-spongy tissue ratio shows a significant positive influence on the cold resistance (β=0.179, P<0.01). (3) Biochemical profiling reveals high stability in ‘Mayu’ tea’s water extracts (46.8%) and tea polyphenols (32.14%) (coefficient of variation, CV<5%). Its phenolic-to-amino acid ratio (9.05-14.54) indicates suitability for both black and green tea processing. The catechin quality index of ‘Mayu’ tea significantly surpassed controls (P<0.05), with bitter amino acids reduced by 18.04% compared to CSS and umami amino acids increased by 17.76% relative to CSA. While sweet amino acids show no significant inter-varietal differences. (4) Ten characteristic markers (including methionine, theanine, caffeine, and seven catechin derivatives) were identified through principal component analysis combined with differential metabolite screening, enabling discrimination of ‘Mayu’ tea from controls. This study elucidated the germplasm specificity of ‘Mayu’ tea from structural adaptation and biochemical perspectives, providing a theoretical foundation for its conservation, breeding, and functional component development.

Key words: Camellia pubilimba ‘Mayu’, Camellia sinensis var. pubilimba, leaf structure, biochemical components

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