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Journal of Tea Science ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 61-72.

• Research Paper • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Plasma-Activated Sodium Lactate Enhances Secondary Metabolites and Physiological Resistance of Young Tea Plants

ZHANG Yunfan1,2, ZHOU Fengjue2, HU Junming1,*, SONG Chuankui3, ZHENG Fuhai1, ZHANG Junhui1, LI Tingting1, LI Yuxiang1   

  1. 1. Agricultural Resources and Environmental ResearchInstitute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation, Nanning 530007, China;
    2. Agricultural College, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China;
    3. School of Tea Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
  • Received:2025-06-07 Revised:2025-09-04 Online:2026-02-15 Published:2026-02-06

Abstract: Plant stress resistance refers to the adaptive capacity of plants to cope with environmental stress through physiological and biochemical regulation. Young tea plants have relatively weak physiological resistance. This study aimed to clarify the regulatory mechanism of plasma-activated substances on secondary metabolites and free amino acids in young tea plants under oxidative stress. Plasma-activated sodium lactate (PAL) was used to treat young tea plants under stress conditions. Two dilution gradients were set: a high concentration of 25 times and a low concentration of 100 times. Through control experiments and targeted metabolomics in a greenhouse, the study investigated the effects of plasma-activated sodium lactate on biomass, antioxidant capacity, secondary metabolites, and free amino acid accumulation in tea plants. The results show that: (1) Both concentrations of PAL significantly increased the accumulation of secondary metabolites in young tea plants. Epicatechingallate (ECG) increased by 4.68% at the low concentration and 6.93% at the high concentration, while epigallocatechin (EGC) increased by 4.84% at the low concentration. (2) Plasma sodium lactate altered the accumulation of free amino acids in young tea plants, significantly increasing the contents of citrulline (Cit), asparagine (Asn), histidine (His), phenylalanine (Phe), arginine (Arg), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and theanine (Theanine) in young tea plants, promoting tea plant growth and participating in the synthesis of proteins related to toxicity alleviation and substance transports. (3) Plasma-treated sodium lactate significantly increased the biomass of young tea plants, enabling them to access more resources and energy to cope with external environmental stresses. Exogenous application of plasma-treated sodium lactate influences the stress resistance physiology of young tea plants and enhances their vitality, representing an important method for regulating the stress resistance of secondary metabolites in tea plants.

Key words: plasma-activated sodium lactate, young tea plants, secondary metabolite, physiological resistance

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