Nontargeted Metabolomics Analysis of Metabolite Characteristics of a Novel Etiolated Cultivar Zhonghuang No. 1 During Green Tea Processing and Its Positive Effects of Glycolipid Metabolism

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Green tea processed from etiolated leaves exhibits a distinctive umami taste and fresh aroma, however, the specific compositional changes in the fresh leaves of etiolated Zhonghuang No. 1 during green tea processing—particularly regarding mechanisms of glycolipid metabolism regulation—remain poorly understood. In this study, we began by quantifying the bioactive components of etiolated green tea and then analyzed metabolite dynamics and glycolipid‐lowering potential during processing using untargeted metabolomics and in vitro enzyme inhibition assays, respectively. Our key findings indicate that curl‐shaped tea (DT) underwent the most substantial metabolic shifts, characterized by marked alterations in sugar and linoleic acid metabolites, alongside rapid accumulation of amino acids, phenylpropanoids, and terpenoids. In contrast, during flower‐shaped tea (ST) formation, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, and amino acids exhibited marked compositional shifts. These results indicate that processing‐driven accumulation of flavonoids and terpenoids underpins the hypoglycolipidemic effects, providing mechanistic insights for developing yellow leaf green tea (YLGT) as a functional food regulating glycolipid metabolism.