Metabolomic analysis of volatile and non-volatile compounds in mulberry leaf white tea processed with different withering methods

With economic development and the diversification and improvement of consumption patterns, there is a growing concern about food health. Mulberry leaves, a kind of natural resource with the homology of medicinal and edible properties, contain various bioactive compounds. In this study, the key active constituents, including tea polyphenols, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), in mulberry leaf white tea were characterized after different withering methods. Additionally, the effects of different withering methods on volatile and non-volatile compounds were analyzed using metabolomics. The findings indicated that non-volatile metabolites were primarily upregulated across all withering methods. Metabolic pathway analysis identified starch and sucrose metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism as the key pathways influenced. • The study comparatively analyzed the content of active substances in mulberry leaf white tea after three different withering treatments. • Sensory evaluation and analysis of mulberry leaf white tea treated with three different withering methods. • Metabolomics studies were conducted on different processed mulberry leaf white tea to analyze the impact of volatile and non-volatile compounds. • Provide preliminary theoretical basis for the development and efficacy research of mulberry leaf white tea health products.