Fuente: Foods - Revista científica (MDPI) Foods, Vol. 15, Pages 1403: Aroma Characteristics and Volatile Compound Transfer in Jasmine Tea During Scenting
Foods doi: 10.3390/foods15081403
Authors:
Yang Yang
Ying Dong
Zhimin Song
Juanfen Zou
Xiaoqin Huang
Dezhi Mao
Chunlei He
Ling Lin

To reveal how the characteristic flavor of jasmine tea is generated, this study analyzed the coordinated changes in sensory properties, chemical components, and aroma migration behavior during scenting. Sensory evaluation, biochemical assays, and headspace solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) integrated with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and relative odor activity value (rOAV) filtering were applied to tea samples before and after scenting. After scenting, aroma and taste scores increased significantly, and liquor color shifted from tender green to pale yellow. Amino acids and soluble sugars increased, while astringent substances such as tea polyphenols and catechins decreased. Key floral compounds, including cis-3-hexenyl benzoate and methyl anthranilate, were transferred from jasmine flowers to the tea base and enriched, likely contributing to the typical aroma profile. The retention rate of aroma in spent flowers was positively correlated with hydrophobicity (logP, r > 0.46, p < 0.01) and negatively with polarity (TPSA, r > −0.42, p < 0.05), suggesting regulation by hydrophobic partitioning. In contrast, aroma transfer to the tea base showed no simple correlation with any single physicochemical parameter, suggesting multi-factor regulation. This study provides insights into the scenting process and offers a theoretical reference for quality control in jasmine tea production.