Lingmu tea, produced from Eurya alata Kobuski leaves, is a traditional non-Camellia sinensis tea, yet the chemical basis underlying its quality formation during green tea–type processing remains unclear. This study systematically investigated the effects of processing on sensory quality, chemical composition, and antioxidant capacity of Lingmu tea. Processed tea exhibited a bright orange–yellow infusion, a mellow and umami-dominant taste, and a mature, harmonious aroma characterized by chestnut-like, sweet, woody, and floral notes. Green tea–type processing increased total phenolic content from 183.20 to 224.59 mg/g and total flavonoid content from 87.31 to 120.11 mg/g. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant remodeling of non-volatile metabolites, characterized by flavonoid enrichment and catechin reduction. The major aroma contributors (ROAV > 1), included linalool, 1-octen-3-one, dimethyl sulfide, nonanal, and ethanol, with their dominant contributors differing markedly between fresh leaves and processed tea. Antioxidant capacity was functionally redistributed after processing: DPPH and superoxide anion scavenging activities decreased, whereas total antioxidant capacity increased substantially (from 208.31 to 346.77 μmol/g), while hydroxyl radical scavenging activity showed no significant difference. Overall, this study elucidates the chemical basis of quality formation in Lingmu tea and supports its evaluation, development, and standardization as a functional specialty tea.
Wang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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