Abstract
Phenolic acids are important taste components in green tea. The aim of this study was to analyze the taste characteristics of phenolic acids and their influence on the bitterness and astringency of green tea by sensory evaluation and chemical determination. The major tea phenolic acids and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (Que-rut) were significantly positively correlated with the bitterness (r = 0.757, p < 0.01; r = 0.605, p < 0.05) and astringency (r = 0.870, p < 0.01; r = 0.576, p < 0.05) of green tea infusion. The phenolic acids have a sour and astringent taste, whereas Que-rut has a mild astringent taste. Phenolic acids and Que-rut can increase the bitterness of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). However, these components behaved differently for astringency on EGCG. Gallic acid (GA) enhances the astringency throughout all the concentrations in this study. While it seemed to be double effects of caffeic acid (CA), chlorogenic acid (CGA), and Que-rut on that, i.e., the inhibition at lower concentrations (CA: 0–0.2 mM; CGA: 0–0.2 mM; Que-rut: 0–0.05 mM) but enhancement at higher ones. The phenolic acids and Que-rut interacted synergistically with tea infusion and as their concentration increased, the synergistic enhancement of the bitterness and astringency of tea infusion increased. These findings help provide a theoretical basis for improving the taste of middle and green tea.
Highlights
Green tea is popular with many consumers due to its various perceived health benefits, e.g., anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity[2–6], and complex taste characteristics comprised of bitterness, astringency, umami, and sweet aftertaste
Identification of key phenolic compounds contributing to the bitterness and astringency of green tea infusions
To identify the key phenolic compounds that contribute to the bitterness and astringency of green tea infusions, the bitterness and astringency of tea samples were scored by a standard sensory evaluation method
Summary
Green tea is one of the most widely consumed drinks worldwide, especially in China, which accounts for 60% of total consumption. Green tea is made from the new leaves or buds of the tea tree, without fermentation, through curing, shaping, and drying. It retains most of the natural phytochemicals from the fresh leaves, including polyphenols, caffeine, amino acids, and vitamins. Tea polyphenols are very important taste substances in tea infusion, including catechins, flavonols, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acids[8], which mainly affect the bitter and astringent taste[9]. The concentrations of galloylated catechins, such as epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), are highly correlated with the bitterness and astringency of green tea infusions[11]
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