The Production of Phenylacetaldehyde from l -Phenylalanine in Tea Fermentation

Tea leaves macerated with l-phenylalanine generated rose like aroma. The gas chromatogram of the essential oil obtained from these leaves showed extremely large peak of phenylacetaldehyde. The evidence for degradation of l-phenylalanine to phenylacetaldehyde and carbon dioxide was given by the radioactive tracer experiment using l-phenylalanine-U-14C. The phenylacetaldehyde was presumed to be an intermediate product in tea fermentation from the data on the changes of the compound in tea fermentation process.