Directed Accumulation of Nitrogen Metabolites through Processing Endows Wuyi Rock Tea with Singular Qualities

Abstract

The execution of specific processing protocols endows Wuyi rock tea with distinctive qualities produced through signature metabolic processes. In this work, tea leaves were collected before and after each of three processing stages for both targeted and untargeted metabolomic analysis. Metabolic profiles of processing stages through each processing stage of rotation, pan-firing and roasting were studied. Overall, 614 metabolites were significantly altered, predominantly through nitrogen-enriching (N) pathways. Roasting led to the enrichment of 342 N metabolites, including 34 lipids, 17 organic acids, 32 alkaloids and 25 amino acids, as well as secondary derivatives beneficial for tea quality. This distinctive shift towards enrichment of N metabolites strongly supports concluding that this directed accumulation of N metabolites is how each of the three processing stages endows Wuyi rock tea with singular quality.