Influence of Foliar Spraying of High-dose Selenium Fertilizer on Flavor Components in Tea Plants

GAO Caixia; ZHONG Wanjing; JIANG Huimin; PENG Jiakun; ZENG Jianming; ZHOU Jie; WANG Weidong; DAI Weidong

doi:10.13305/j.cnki.jts.2026.05.006

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Journal of Tea Science ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (5) : 891-903. DOI: 10.13305/j.cnki.jts.2026.05.006

Research Paper

Influence of Foliar Spraying of High-dose Selenium Fertilizer on Flavor Components in Tea Plants

GAO Caixia^1,2, ZHONG Wanjing², JIANG Huimin², PENG Jiakun², ZENG Jianming², ZHOU Jie¹, WANG Weidong^1,*, DAI Weidong^2,*

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Abstract

To investigate the effects of a high-concentration selenium (Se) fertilizer on Se accumulation and metabolite profiles in the tea cultivar ‘Longjing 43', sodium selenite was foliar-applied at a rate of 75 mg·m^-2 in autumn. Non-targeted metabolomics was employed to analyze changes in quality-related metabolites in fresh leaves harvested at different time points after Se application. The results showed that Se application significantly increased the Se content in fresh leaves, reaching a maximum of 39.7 mg·kg^-1 on day 8, followed by a gradual decline to 16.1 mg·kg^-1 by day 27. Metabolomics analysis reveals that the levels of most dimeric catechins (increased by 11%-21%), flavanols (increased by 1%-5%), and alkaloids (increased by 2%-17%) were elevated, whereas the contents of organic acids (decreased by 1%-17%) flavonols and their glycosides (decreased by 3%-4%) and lipids (decreased by 19%-33%) were reduced under Se treatment. Notably, in contrast to previous reports that moderate Se application enhances amino acid content and improves tea flavor quality, the present study observed a significant decrease in most amino acids on day 8 after high-concentration Se application, followed by a gradual recovery on days 13, 20, and 27. KEGG enrichment analysis indicates significant activation of glutathione and sulfur-containing amino acid metabolic pathways. On day 8 after selenium fertilizer application, the contents of glutathione and ascorbic acid in tea leaves decreased, and subsequently, glutathione content gradually recovered as Se levels declined in the later stage. Sensory evaluation of black tea reveals a slight deterioration in the overall flavor quality under excessive Se treatment. Collectively, this metabolomics-based study elucidates the dynamic effects of excessive Se application on tea chemical composition, providing valuable insights for the optimized production of Se-enriched tea with improved quality.

Key words

tea plant / foliar spray fertilizer / high-dose selenium / metabolomics / pathway enrichment analysis

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GAO Caixia, ZHONG Wanjing, JIANG Huimin, PENG Jiakun, ZENG Jianming, ZHOU Jie, WANG Weidong, DAI Weidong. Influence of Foliar Spraying of High-dose Selenium Fertilizer on Flavor Components in Tea Plants[J]. Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(5): 891-903 https://doi.org/10.13305/j.cnki.jts.2026.05.006

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