Camellia Sinensis Research Articles

Ovicidal activity and cytotoxicity of ethanolic extract of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and green tea (Camellia sinensis) to treat digestive parasite of sheep.

The Trichuris eggs are collected from naturally infected sheep. Natural antihelmintics such as herbal medicines are needed as an alternative, such as natural compounds from endemic plants. This present study aims to evaluate the ovicidal activity and cytotoxicity effects of ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa (EECL) and Camelia sinensis (EECS) as a biological anthelmintic against the egg of Trichuris sp. The Trichuris eggs are collected from naturally infected sheep. CMC-Na solution 1% was used as a control. The treatments were 0.12% EECL; 0.24% EECL; 0.15% EECS; 0.30% EECS; a combination of 0.12% EECL and 0.30% EECS; a combination of 0.24% EECL; and 0.15% EECS. Ovicidal activity testing by microscopic examination of eggs treated using different concentrations of EECL extract, EECS, and a combination of them. They were exposed for various times (7, 14, 21, and 28 days) and incubated at room temperature. The study shows that a combination of C. longa extract and tea extract exhibits good ovicidal anthelmintic activity against Trichuris sp. in sheep. Cytotoxicity examination using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. Based on MTT data processed using regression analysis, the obtained LC50 from the administration of EECL, EECS, and a combination of both in a ratio of 1:1, 2:2, 1:2, and 2:1. The combination of EECL extract and EECS with the highest concentration produced cell viability of 28.46%, 17.25%, 56.01%, and 46.47%, respectively. It can be concluded that the most cytotoxic ingredient is found in the combination of EECL and EECS (2:2) at 17.25% and the safest is in the ratio (1:2) at 56.01%.

In Vitro Analysis of Camellia sinensis Leaf Extract Against Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a significant global health challenge, with its prevalence steadily increasing. Natural compounds derived from plants have garnered attention for their potential therapeutic effects in managing this metabolic disorder. Camellia sinensis, commonly known as tea, is rich in bioactive compounds exhibiting various pharmacological properties. This study investigates the potential anti-diabetic activity of C. sinensis leaf extract through in vitro analysis. Camella sinensisleaf extract was prepared by grinding the plant's leaf into a powder, mixing it with distilled water, and heating. The antidiabetic activity was assessed through α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase inhibitory assays, employing varying concentrations of the plant extract. Molecular docking analysis utilized Autodock 1.5.6 software (The Scripps Research Institute, California, US)to predict ligand-receptor interactions, guiding subsequent experimental validation. Camella sinensisleaf extract exhibited high phenolic content, suggesting potential in managing hyperglycemia. Tannins may aid glucose absorption and inhibit adipogenesis, making them promising for non-insulin-dependent DM (NIDDM). Terpenoids, with antioxidant activity, inhibit advanced glycation. Saponins and steroids were absent. Molecular docking revealed residues like IR, IRS1, and AS160 with significant impact on α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase, comparable to metformin. The findings of this study highlight the promising potential of C. sinensis leaf extract in managing hyperglycemia associated with DM. The high phenolic content aids in glucose regulation. Specifically, the presence of tannins suggests a potential role in modulating glucose absorption and inhibiting adipogenesis, which could be particularly beneficial for individuals with NIDDM.These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the potential therapeutic efficacy of C. sinensis leaf extract against DM, paving the way for further research and development of novel therapeutic interventions in diabetes management.

The potential protective effect of Camellia Sinensis in mitigating monosodium glutamate-induced neurotoxicity: biochemical and histological study in male albino rats

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium compound derived from glutamic acid. Excessive daily ingestion of MSG leads to elevated amounts of glutamic acid in the bloodstream, which can be detrimental to brain structures. Camellia sinensis, often known as green tea (GT), is a rich source of essential hexogen antioxidants that are necessary for the body. Thirty-two adult male albino rats were divided into four groups (n = 8). Group 1 served as a control -ve group. Group 2 was given GT (1.5 ml/rat/day). Group 3 was given MSG (600 mg/kg/day). Group 4 was given MSG (600 mg/kg/day) and GT (1.5 ml/rat/day). All treatments were given orally for 28 days. MSG administration resulted in significant neurotoxicity in rats that was revealed by the significant reduction of serum concentration of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and nitric oxide (NO), and the significant elevation of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) accompanied by the significant reduction of levels of serum monoamines (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) and histological changes in the hippocampus area CA1, dentate gyrus, and cerebellar cortex and positive immunohistochemical staining of glial fibrillary acidic proteins (GFAP) and calretinin. Administration of GT with MSG counteracted the MSG-mediated oxidative stress by significantly increasing serum concentrations of GPX and NO and significantly decreasing concentrations of TAC. Furthermore, GT significantly increased levels of serum monoamines (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine). Moreover, it ameliorated the histological changes, GFAP, and calretinin immunostaining in brain tissues. It is envisaged that GT will serve as a viable protective choice for the inclusion of the neurotoxicity treatment procedure.

Optimization of Fe/Ni, Fe/Cu bimetallic nanoparticle synthesis process utilizing concentrated Camellia sinensis extract solution and activity evaluation through methylene blue removal reaction

In this study, we introduce a synthesis process of bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) Fe/Ni and Fe/Cu utilizing concentrated Camellia sinenis extract that was optimized with a solvent ratio of ethanol/H2O 4/1 (v/v), a metal ratio of 5/1 (w/w), a total polyphenol content (TPC) in the solution of 12.5 g.l−1, pH = 3–4, 25 °C, and the reaction time ranging from 30 min to 50 min. The structural and morphological characteristics of the resulting materials were determined using several techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The maximum removal efficiency of methylene blue (MB) by BNPs Fe/Ni and Fe/Cu materials was found to be 88.60% and 91.06%, respectively, at a concentration of MB = 25 mg.l−1 and 25 °C. According to the results of the kinetic modeling study, the adsorption process of MB on the two BNPs materials followed second-order kinetics, with the maximum adsorption capacities of MB on Fe/Ni and Fe/Cu BNPs being 26.94 mg.g−1and 28.00 mg.g−1, respectively.

Classification of tea leaf disease using convolutional neural network approach

Leaf diseases on tea plants affect the quality of tea. This issue must be overcome since preparing tea drinks requires high-quality tea leaves. Various automatic models for identifying disease in tea leaves have been developed; however, their performance is typically low since the extracted features are not selective enough. This work presents a classification model for tea leaf disease that distinguishes six leaf classes: algal spot, brown, blight, grey blight, helopeltis, red spot, and healthy. Deep learning using a convolutional neural network (CNN) builds an effective model for detecting tea leaf illness. The Kaggle public dataset contains 5,980 tea leaf images on a white background. Pre-processing was performed to reduce computing time, which involved shrinking and normalizing the image prior to augmentation. Augmentation techniques included rotation, shear, flip horizontal, and flip vertical. The CNN model was used to classify tea leaf disease using the MobileNetV2 backbone, Adam optimizer, and rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation function with 224×224 input data. The proposed model attained the highest performance, as evidenced by the accuracy value 0.9455.

Whole-genome resequencing of tea grey geometrid provides insights into their population structure and adaptation to tea crops

Tea grey geometrid, Ectropis grisescens (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), is a chewing defoliator of high fecundity and gluttony, whose larvae heavily consume leaves and shoots, and consequently cause significant losses to tea crops in terms of both yield and quality. Nevertheless, a lack of population genome information has hindered previous research on the species as a tea crop pest. Here, we re-sequenced genomes of 43 tea grey geometrid individuals representing 13 distinct geographic regions and 12 individuals of its sibling species, the tea geometrid Ectropis obliqua (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), collected from four different sites in China. A genomic variation atlas of 627,569 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from whole-genome resequencing of 43 individuals was identified. Surprisingly, the populations of the tea grey geometrid (EG) are found to be assigned into two distinct subpopulations, EGA and EGB. The sample locations indicate that the subpopulation EGA is mainly distributed in the region of Zhejiang Province, where it co-occurred with tea geometrids (EO). The EGB subpopulation is distributed in the southern and central areas of China. Demographic history analysis has revealed fluctuations in population size of the tea grey geometrid over time, but following tea cultivation, the population size has started to stabilize. Meanwhile, the migration event analysis has uncovered a significant migration event between EGA and EO. Furthermore, genes (such as P-glycoprotein and lactase) under selection show possible metabolic adaptation of tea grey geometrid to the tea plants. These findings provide a broader foundation and additional resources for understanding the geometrid evolution and the genetic mechanisms underlying agriculturally important traits.

Corrigendum: Protective effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract against cypermethrin-induced neurotoxicity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) brain tissues

Corrigendum: Protective effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract against cypermethrin-induced neurotoxicity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) brain tissues

Kombucha beverages made from Camellia nitidissima Chi and Camellia sinensis flowers—physicochemical properties, sensory properties and bioactivity

Recently, various plant materials other than tea have been used as substrates for kombucha beverages. To improve the aroma and other qualities of kombucha, Camellia sinensis and Camellia nitidissima Chi flowers were used as raw materials to prepare novel kombucha beverages (marked as TFK and GFTK), which were systematically compared to traditional kombucha made from black tea. The results revealed that the biomass of kombucha made from TFK increased the most among all samples. TFK had the highest content of organic acids, with 9.03 g/L of acetic acid and 5.57 g/L of gluconic acid. Metabolomic analysis revealed that TFK showed the highest concentration of organic nitrogen compounds, whereas GFTK had the highest concentration of flavonoids. There were 183 kinds of volatile components identified in the 3 kombuchas, only 20 of which were common aroma components. Among the three kombucha beverages, TFK had the highest digestive enzyme inhibitory activity and was also second only to GFTK in terms of anti-oxidant properties. In terms of sensory properties, TFK had a higher fruit score compared to GFTK, but there was no significant difference in floral intensity between these two samples. Therefore, the C. sinensis flower is more suitable for preparing kombucha.

Identification and expression analysis of the GLK gene family in tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and a functional study of CsGLK54 under low-temperature stress

The Golden2-like (GLK) transcription factor family is a significant group of transcription factors in plantae. The currently available studies have shown that GLK transcription factors have been studied mainly in chloroplast growth and development, with fewer studies in abiotic stress regulation. In this study, all tea plant GLK transcription factors were identified for the first time in tea plants, and genome-wide identification, phylogenetic analysis, and thematic characterization were performed to identify 66 GLK transcription factors in tea plants. These genes are categorized into seven groups, and an amino acid sequence comparison analysis is performed. This study revealed that the structure of GLK genes in tea plants is highly conserved and that these genes are distributed across 14 chromosomes. Collinearity analysis revealed 17 pairs of genes with fragment duplications and one pair of genes with tandem duplications, and the analysis of Ka/Ks ratios indicated that most of the genes underwent negative purifying selection. Analysis of promoter cis-elements revealed that the promoters of tea plant GLK genes contain a large number of cis-acting elements related to phytohormones and stress tolerance. In addition, a large number of genes contain LTR elements, suggesting that tea plant GLK genes are involved in low-temperature stress. qRT‒PCR analysis revealed that the expression of CsGLK17, CsGLK38, CsGLK54, CsGLK11 and CsGLK60 significantly increased and that the expression of CsGLK7 and CsGLK13 decreased in response to low-temperature induction. Taken together, the results of the transcription profile analysis suggested that CsGLK54 may play an important regulatory role under low-temperature stress. The subcellular localization of CsGLK54 was in the nucleus. Furthermore, CsGLK54 positively regulated the transcription levels of the NbPOD and NbSOD genes under low-temperature stress, which led to an increase in POD and SOD enzyme activities and a decrease in MDA content. These findings provide valuable insights into the regulatory mechanism of low-temperature stress in tea plants.

Csn-miR156d-CsSPL1 regulates flowering and anthocyanin metabolism.

MiR156 play important roles in regulation of plant growth and development, secondary metabolite synthesis, and other biological processes by targeting the SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like (SPL) family. Our previous sequencing data analysis suggested that Csn-miR156d may regulate flowering and anthocyanin accumulation by cleavage and degradation of the expression of the SPL in tea plant, but it remains to be elucidated. In this study, 5'RLM-RACE experiment, tobacco transient transformation, qRT-PCR, and antisense oligonucleotide (asODN) were used to verify that CsSPL1 is the target gene of Csn-miR156d. Stable transformation of Arabidopsis revealed that Csn-miR156d could delay flowering by negatively regulating the transcript levels of FT, AP1, FUL, and SOC1, while overexpression of CsSPL1 showed an opposite effect. Additionally, overexpression of Csn-miR156d in Arabidopsis could enhance the transcription of the anthocyanin biosynthesis-related structural genes DFR, ANS, F3H, UGT78D2, and LDOX, as well as regulatory genes PAP1, MYB113, GL3, MYB11, and MYB12, leading to anthocyanin accumulation. Moreover, asODN experiment revealed that Csn-miR156d could increase the anthocyanin content in tea plant. These results suggest that Csn-miR156d regulates flowering and anthocyanin accumulation in tea plant by suppressing the expression of CsSPL1. Our study provides new insights into the development and anthocyanin accumulation in tea plant and lays a theoretical foundation for further research on the molecular mechanism of miRNAs in regulating tea plant growth and secondary metabolism.

Emergence of Lasiodiplodia theobromae induced leaf necrosis in tea (Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze) from India.

The tea plant, Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze, is a vital global agricultural commodity, yet faces challenges from fungal infections, which affects its production. To reduce the loss in the tea production, the fungal infections must be removed which is managed with fungicides, which are harmful to the environment. Leaf necrosis, which decreases tea quality and quantity, was investigated across Assam, revealing Lasiodiplodia theobromae as the causative agent. Pathogenicity tests, alongside morphological and molecular analyses, confirmed its role in leaf necrosis. Genome and gene analysis of L. theobromae showed multiple genes related to its pathogenicity. The study also assessed the impact of chemical pesticides on this pathogen. Additionally, the findings in this study highlight the significance of re-assessing management approaches in considering the fungal infection in tea.

Beyond the buzz: the fatal consequences of caffeine overconsumption.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant present in dozens of plant species including Coffea arabica and Camellia sinensis, from which we obtain coffee and tea, respectively. It is one of the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substances frequently used to increase alertness, elevate mood, and ward off fatigue. In traditional preparations, caffeine is generally well-tolerated by the consumer. However, complications can arise with the addition of caffeine to products like energy drinks, medications, and supplements. Furthermore, with pure caffeine accessible online, a consumer may unknowingly or inadvertently consume caffeine in dangerous amounts. Symptoms of caffeine toxicity include classic central nervous system stimulation side effects, such as agitation, insomnia, gastrointestinal distress, tachycardia, seizures, and death in extreme cases. To evaluate concentrations of toxicological significance, caffeine cases were assessed at a large reference laboratory (NMS Labs). From 2019 to 2023, 406 blood cases underwent confirmation testing via LC-MS-MS; the mean and median caffeine concentrations were 35 and 4.8 µg/mL, respectively. While most caffeine-containing cases indicate traditional use in the general population with concentrations <25 µg/mL (62%, N = 254), 10% (N = 42) of the cases were >100 µg/mL, indicating levels which may contribute to a fatal outcome. To gain insight into the significance of caffeine in determining the cause and manner of death, cases with various manners of death are presented. Despite being one of the most common toxicological findings in medicolegal death investigations, caffeine is often overlooked. Screening results should undergo scrutiny, and confirmation testing should be considered in cases where caffeine intoxication is prominently featured in the case history or scene investigation.

IN SILICO TEST AND CHARACTERIZATION TEST OF THE NANOEMULSION FORMULA OF CATECHIN COMPOUNDS AS ANTI ACNE

Catechin is a polyphenolic compound produced by green tea and gambier plants with catechin activity as an antibacterial. The method that can be used to predict the activity of catechin compounds as anti-acne is by using the in silico method and catechins are unstable because they are difficult to dissolve in water, making transdermal delivery inefficient. As a drug delivery system, nanoemulsions can increase the effectiveness of drug therapy by reducing the particle size to the nanometer range. The aim of this research is to find out how to test in silico protein (1VJY) with catechin compounds as an anti-acne agent and to find out how the evaluation and characterization of the nanoemulsion preparation formula from catechin compounds meets the specified requirements. The results of in silico testing can predict catechin compounds as antibacterials that inhibit protein mechanisms (1VJY) as shown by 2D visualization and docking values and evaluation test results of catechin nanoemulsion preparations such as organoleptic, pH, transmittance, freeze and thaw, viscosity, specific gravity, irritation test has fulfilled the specified requirements. The results of the characterization test for the catechin nanoemulsion preparation showed a particle size of 10.6 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.452, and a zeta potential of -34.5 m, which is in accordance with the requirements.

The Circadian Clock Gene PHYTOCLOCK1 Mediates the Diurnal Emission of the Anti-Insect Volatile Benzyl Nitrile from Damaged Tea (Camellia sinensis) Plants.

Benzyl nitrile from tea plants attacked by various pests displays a diurnal pattern, which may be closely regulated by the endogenous circadian clock. However, the molecular mechanism by the circadian clock of tea plants that regulates the biosynthesis and release of volatiles remains unclear. In this study, the circadian clock gene CsPCL1 can activate both the expression of the benzyl nitrile biosynthesis-related gene CsCYP79 and the jasmonic acid signaling-related transcription factor CsMYC2 involved in upregulating CsCYP79 gene, thereby resulting in the accumulation and release of benzyl nitrile. Therefore, the anti-insect function of benzyl nitrile was explored in the laboratory. The application of slow-release beads of benzyl nitrile in tea plantations significantly reduced the number of tea geometrids and had positive effects on the yield of fresh tea leaves. These findings reveal the potential utility of herbivore-induced plant volatiles for the green control of pests in tea plantations.

Didymellaceae species associated with tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in China

Tea plant is one of the most important commercial crops worldwide. The Didymellaceae fungi can cause leaf blight disease of tea plant. In this study, 240 isolates were isolated from tea plant leaves of 10 provinces in China. Combined with multi-locus (ITS, LSU, RPB2 and TUB2) phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics, these isolates were identified as 25 species of six genera in Didymellaceae, including 19 known species Didymella coffeae-arabicae, D. pomorum, D. segeticola, D. sinensis, Epicoccum catenisporum, E. dendrobii, E. draconis, E. italicum, E. latusicollum, E. mackenziei, E. oryzae, E. poaceicola, E. rosae, E. sorghinum, E. tobaicum, Neoascochyta mortariensis, Paraboeremia litseae, Remotididymella anemophila and Stagonosporopsis caricae, of which 15 species were new record species and six novel species, named D. yunnanensis, E. anhuiense, E. jingdongense, E. puerense, N. yunnanensis and N. zhejiangensis. Amongst all isolates, D. segeticola was the most dominant species. Pathogenicity tests on tea plant leaves showed that E. anhuiense had the strongest virulence, while E. puerense had the weakest virulence. Besides, D. pomorum, D. yunnanensis, E. dendrobii, E. italicum, E. jingdongense, E. mackenziei, E. oryzae, E. rosae, E. tobaicum, N. mortariensis, N. yunnanensis, N. zhejiangensis and R. anemophila were non-pathogenic to the tea plant.

Exploring the dynamics of ISR signaling in maize upon seed priming with plant growth promoting actinobacteria isolated from tea rhizosphere of Darjeeling.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) offer an eco-friendly alternative to agrochemicals for better plant growth and development. Here, we evaluated the plant growth promotion abilities of actinobacteria isolated from the tea (Camellia sinensis) rhizosphere of Darjeeling, India. 16S rRNA gene ribotyping of 28 isolates demonstrated the presence of nine different culturable actinobacterial genera. Assessment of the in vitro PGP traits revealed that Micrococcus sp. AB420 exhibited the highest level of phosphate solubilization (i.e., 445 ± 2.1µg/ml), whereas Kocuria sp. AB429 and Brachybacterium sp. AB440 showed the highest level of siderophore (25.8 ± 0.1%) and IAA production (101.4 ± 0.5µg/ml), respectively. Biopriming of maize seeds with the individual actinobacterial isolate revealed statistically significant growth in the treated plants compared to controls. Among them, treatment with Paenarthrobacter sp. AB416 and Brachybacterium sp. AB439 exhibited the highest shoot and root length. Biopriming has also triggered significant enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative defense reactions in maize seedlings both locally and systematically, providing a critical insight into their possible role in the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) burden. To better understand the role of actinobacterial isolates in the modulation of plant defense, three selected actinobacterial isolates, AB426 (Brevibacterium sp.), AB427 (Streptomyces sp.), and AB440 (Brachybacterium sp.) were employed to evaluate the dynamics of induced systemic resistance (ISR) in maize. The expression profile of five key genes involved in SA and JA pathways revealed that bio-priming with actinobacteria (Brevibacterium sp. AB426 and Brachybacterium sp. AB440) preferably modulates the JA pathway rather than the SA pathway. The infection studies in bio-primed maize plants resulted in a delay in disease progression by the biotrophic pathogen Ustilago maydis in infected maize plants, suggesting the positive efficacy of bio-priming in aiding plants to cope with biotic stress. Conclusively, this study unravels the intrinsic mechanisms of PGPR-mediated ISR dynamics in bio-primed plants, offering a futuristic application of these microorganisms in the agricultural fields as an eco-friendly alternative.

Characterization of CsUGT73AC15 as a Multifunctional Glycosyltransferase Impacting Flavonol Triglycoside Biosynthesis in Tea Plants.

Flavonol glycosides, contributing to the health benefits and distinctive flavors of tea (Camellia sinensis), accumulate predominantly as diglycosides and triglycosides in tea leaves. However, the UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) mediating flavonol multiglycosylation remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, we employed an integrated proteomic and metabolomic strategy to identify and characterize key UGTs involved in flavonol triglycoside biosynthesis. The recombinant rCsUGT75AJ1 exhibited flavonoid 4'-O-glucosyltransferase activity, while rCsUGT75L72 preferentially catalyzed 3-OH glucosylation. Notably, rCsUGT73AC15 displayed substrate promiscuity and regioselectivity, enabling glucosylation of rutin at multiple sites and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside (K3R) at the 7-OH position. Kinetic analysis revealed rCsUGT73AC15's high affinity for rutin (Km = 9.64 μM). Across cultivars, CsUGT73AC15 expression inversely correlated with rutin levels. Moreover, transient CsUGT73AC15 silencing increased rutin and K3R accumulation while decreasing their respective triglycosides in tea plants. This study offers new mechanistic insights into the key roles of UGTs in regulating flavonol triglycosylation in tea plants.

Sunlight active Zeolite decorated N-doped nickel oxide nanocomposite for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of toxic phenols

Nanotechnology is the most advanced technique in current times, with nanoparticles and nanocomposites playing a vital role in the remediation of toxic contamination. Notably, nanoparticles synthesized using plant extracts exhibit superior stability and biocompatibility when compared to their counterparts produced through conventional chemical and physical methods. The present study focuses on the green synthesis of N-NiO@Zeolite nanocomposite utilizing Camellia sinensis (green tea) plant leaf extract. The green synthesized nanocomposite was employed for the photocatalytic degradation of toxic organic pollutants including, 3-Aminophenol (3-AP) and bisphenol A (BPA). Under solar irradiation, modified nanomaterials demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activities for degrading 3-AP and BPA. The optimum parameters for photocatalytic degradation were found to be pollutant concentrations of 10 mg/L for 3-AP and 4 mg/L for BPA, photocatalyst dosages of 15 mg for 3-AP and 10 mg for BPA, and neutral pH for both pollutants. Within 120 min, the synthesized N-NiO@zeolite nanocomposite achieved degradation efficiencies of 96 % for 3-AP and 94 % for BPA, superior performance on comparing its parental materials, N-NiO (78 % for 3-AP and 75 % for BPA) and NiO (66 % for 3-AP and 65 % for BPA). The degradation kinetics of both pollutants were accurately represented by first-order kinetics, Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and were consistent with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. Furthermore, the environmentally friendly N-NiO@Zeolite nanocomposite displayed outstanding durability and reusability, retaining photocatalytic efficiency after 10 cycles of repeated usage, and its stability was validated by PXRD analysis after treatment. This excellent reusability and stability demonstrate the nanocomposite’s potential as a long-term solution for commercial treatment of wastewater applications.

Greenhouse covering cultivation promotes chlorophyll accumulation of tea plant (Camellia sinensis) by activating relevant gene expression and enzyme activity

BackgroundThe tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is one of the most economically important woody crops. Plastic greenhouse covering cultivation has been widely used in tea areas of northern China. Chlorophyll is not only the crucial pigment for green tea, but also plays an important role in the growth and development of tea plants. Currently, little is known about the effect of plastic greenhouse covering cultivation on chlorophyll in tea leaves.ResultsTo investigate the effect of plastic greenhouse covering cultivation on chlorophyll in tea leaves, color difference values, chlorophyll contents, gene expression, enzyme activities and photosynthetic parameters were analyzed in our study. Sensory evaluation showed the color of appearance, liquor and infused leaves of greenhouse tea was greener than field tea. Color difference analysis for tea liquor revealed that the value of ∆L, ∆b and b/a of greenhouse tea was significantly higher than field tea. Significant increase in chlorophyll content, intracellular CO2, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and net photosynthetic rate was observed in greenhouse tea leaves. The gene expression and activities of chlorophyll-metabolism-related enzymes in tea leaves were also activated by greenhouse covering.ConclusionThe higher contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll in greenhouse tea samples were primarily due to higher gene expression and activities of chlorophyll-metabolism-related enzymes especially, chlorophyll a synthetase (chlG), pheophorbide a oxygenase (PAO) and chlorophyllide a oxygenase (CAO) in tea leaves covered by greenhouse. In general, our results revealed the molecular basis of chlorophyll metabolism in tea leaves caused by plastic greenhouse covering cultivation, which had great significance in production of greenhouse tea.

Uptake and Transport of Selenium in a Soil–Tea Plant–Tea Infusion System: A Study of Typical Tea Plantations in a Selenium-Rich Area of China

Selenium is an important indicator for the evaluation of tea quality. However, the relationship between selenium uptake by tea plants (Camellia sinensis) and soil properties, as well as selenium transport and distribution in a tea plantation soil–tea plant–tea infusion production system, remain unclear. In this study, 12 tea plantations situated in a typical selenium-rich area of China were selected, and the characteristics and crucial factors influencing the uptake and transport of selenium were analyzed using a plantation soil–tea plant–tea infusion production system. The soil total selenium content ranged from 1.12 to 6.67 mg kg−1, with an average of 2.57 mg kg−1. The average available selenium content was 53.56 µg kg−1, and the activation rate of soil selenium was 2.27%. Soil-available selenium was significantly positively correlated with total selenium, available potassium, and soil organic matter contents, and was significantly negatively correlated with soil pH. The selenium content in old leaves ranged from 0.29 to 2.73 mg kg−1, which met the standard for selenium-rich tea, whereas only 33% of young leaves met this standard. The selenium enrichment factor was highest in the fibrous root and lowest in the young leaves. The average selenium transport factors from fibrous roots to main roots, from main roots to main stems, from main stems to lateral stems, from lateral stems to young leaves, and from lateral stems to old leaves were 0.53, 0.92, 0.67, 0.97, and 2.30, respectively. The selenium concentration of tea infusion ranged from 1.88 to 12.49 μg L−1, and the average selenium dissolution rate was 22.62% after one brewing. This study identified critical factors that influence soil-selenium availability. The selenium content in tea plant organs is indicated to be strongly associated with the selenium content in the main roots.