Himachal Journal of Agricultural Research

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Genotypic and seasonal variations of catechin and caffeine content in exotic collection of tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] germplasm in Sri Lanka


Affiliations
1 Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
 

The quality of made tea is largely dependent on the key metabolites viz. caffeine and flavan-3-ols. The aim of the present study was to quantify flavan-3-ols and caffeine of Sri Lankan exotic tea germplam. Fresh leaf flavan-3- ols; catechin (+C), epicatechin (EC), epicatechingallate (ECg), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechingallate (EGCg), caffeine and gallic acid of 58 accessions (54 exotic and 4 improved cultivars) were performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Variation in metabolites among cultivars and seasons were determined. Among the flavan-3-ols, EGCg was the most abundant followed by EGC, ECg, EC and +C. Hierarchical clustering of 58 accessions based on metabolite diversity resulted in two major clusters. High caffeine containing accessions (>30 mg g-1) of Indian origin and improved TRI cultivars clustered together. Low caffeine accessions such as PBGT10, PBGT27, PBGT35, PBGT71, PBGT48, PBGT53 and PBGT54 (< 20 mg g-1) grouped separately. Higher variations in catechins and caffeine content in exotic germplasm is useful in developing tea cultivars of high quality tea.


Keywords

Tea quality, Camellia sinensis, flavan-3-ols, caffeine, seasonal variations
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  • Genotypic and seasonal variations of catechin and caffeine content in exotic collection of tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] germplasm in Sri Lanka

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Authors

J. D. Kottawa-Arachchi
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
M.A.B. Ranatunga
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
A.M.T. Amarakoon
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
M.T.K. Gunasekare
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
R.K. Sharma
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
H.K. Chaudhary
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
V.K. Sood
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
R. Katoch
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
D.K. Banyal
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
E.N.U. Edirisinghe
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India
R.N. Attanayake
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, India

Abstract


The quality of made tea is largely dependent on the key metabolites viz. caffeine and flavan-3-ols. The aim of the present study was to quantify flavan-3-ols and caffeine of Sri Lankan exotic tea germplam. Fresh leaf flavan-3- ols; catechin (+C), epicatechin (EC), epicatechingallate (ECg), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechingallate (EGCg), caffeine and gallic acid of 58 accessions (54 exotic and 4 improved cultivars) were performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Variation in metabolites among cultivars and seasons were determined. Among the flavan-3-ols, EGCg was the most abundant followed by EGC, ECg, EC and +C. Hierarchical clustering of 58 accessions based on metabolite diversity resulted in two major clusters. High caffeine containing accessions (>30 mg g-1) of Indian origin and improved TRI cultivars clustered together. Low caffeine accessions such as PBGT10, PBGT27, PBGT35, PBGT71, PBGT48, PBGT53 and PBGT54 (< 20 mg g-1) grouped separately. Higher variations in catechins and caffeine content in exotic germplasm is useful in developing tea cultivars of high quality tea.


Keywords


Tea quality, Camellia sinensis, flavan-3-ols, caffeine, seasonal variations

References