Abstract:
Objective Composition and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides (TPS) in Wuyi Mingcong tea germplasms from plantations at Mt. Wuyi were determined for better utilization of the existing resource and new variety breeding.
Method Samples of 31 Wuyi Mingcong tea germplasms were collected for polysaccharides extraction. The extraction rate and contents of neutral sugar, uronic acid, protein and tea polyphenol were determined. Methods of D-deoxyribose-iron system and DPPH assay were adopted to evaluate the scavenging activities on DPPH· and hydroxyl (·OH) free radicals. A clustered heatmap and subordinate function method were employed to characterize and classify the various TPS.
Result The TPS extraction rates on the tea germplasm samples ranged from 1.73% to 3.39%. The extracts contained 25.75-67.21% neutral sugars, 11.10-22.57% uronic acid, 2.24-7.42% protein, 3.81-9.68% polyphenols. The average scavenging activity of TPS on DPPH· was 55.61%, ranging from 25.47% to 84.30%, and that on ·OH 54.20%, ranging from 34.98% to 78.38%. The coefficients of variation on 7 TPS traits ranged from 16.74% to 23.71% and on genetic diversity indices from 1.93 to 2.18. The hierarchical cluster and heatmap analyses showed that the contents of uronic acid, protein, and polyphenols significantly correlated with the free radical scavenging activities of the TPS extracts, but not between the extraction rate or neutral sugar and the antioxidant activity. The 31 germplasms could be divided into 3 classes. The top 5 germplasms on the average subordinate function value were Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze cv. Jiulonglan, cv. Yuchan, cv. Yudan, cv. Baijiguan, and cv. Hongjiguan.
Conclusion The composition and antioxidant activity of TPS in the 31 Wuyi Mingcong teas varied significantly. The uronic acid, protein, and polyphenols in TPS exerted significant effect on its antioxidant activity. TPS in Jiulonglan, Yuchan, Yudan, Baijiguan, and Hongjiguan appeared to be higher on antioxidant activity among the germplasms. These 5 varieties could be applied for breeding new varieties to make oolong teas for the health food market.