Quality Chemistry, Physiological Functions, and Health Benefits of Organic Acids from Tea (Camellia sinensis).

Organic acids account for around 3% of the dry matter in tea leaves, and their composition and contents vary in different types of tea. They participate in the metabolism of tea plants, regulate nutrient absorption and growth, and contribute to the aroma and taste quality of tea. Compared with other secondary metabolites in tea, the researches on organic acids are still limited. This article reviewed the research progresses of organic acids in tea, including analysis methods, the root secretion and physiological function, the composition of organic acids in tea leaves and related influencing factors, the contribution of organic acids to sensory quality, and the health benefits, such as antioxidation, promotion of digestion and absorption, acceleration of gastrointestinal transit, and regulation of intestinal flora. It is hoped to provide references for related research on organic acids from tea.

The Prevention Role of Theaflavin-3,3'-digallate in Angiotensin II Induced Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy via CaN-NFAT Signal Pathway.

Theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF3) is a representative theaflavin of black tea and is remarkable for the anti-coronary heart disease effect. As an adaptive response to heart failure, pathological cardiac hypertrophy (PCH) has attracted great interest. In this study, the PCH cell model was established with H9c2 cells by angiotensin II, and the prevention effect and mechanisms of TF3 were investigated. The results showed that the cell size and fetal gene mRNA level were significantly reduced as pretreated with TF3 at the concentration range of 1-10 µM, also the balance of the redox system was recovered by TF3 at the concentration of 10 µM. The intracellular Ca2+ level decreased, Calcineurin (CaN) expression was down-regulated and the p-NFATc3 expression was up-regulated. These results indicated that TF3 could inhibit the activation of the CaN-NFAT signal pathway to prevent PCH, and TF3 may be a potentially effective natural compound for PCH and heart failure.

Comparative Transcriptome and Phytochemical Analysis Provides Insight into Triterpene Saponin Biosynthesis in Seeds and Flowers of the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis).

Triterpene saponins exhibit various biological and pharmacological activities. However, the knowledge on saponin biosynthesis in tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.) is still limited. In this work, tea flower and seed samples at different developmental stages and leaves were collected and analyzed with UPLC-PDA-MS and RNA sequencing for saponin determination and transcriptome comparison. The saponin content reached around 19% in the freshly mature seeds and 7% in the green flower buds, and decreased with the fruit ripeness and flower blooming. Almost no saponins were detected in leaf samples. PCA and KEGG analysis suggested that the gene expression pattern and secondary metabolism in TF1 and TS2 vs. leaf samples were significantly different. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) uncovered two modules related to saponin content. The mevalonate (MVA) instead of 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phospate (MEP) pathway was responsible for saponin accumulation in tea plants, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase (HMGS), diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase (MVD) and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) may be the key enzymes involved in saponin biosynthesis in tea seeds and flowers. Moreover, ten transcription factors (TFs) were predicted to regulate saponin biosynthesis in the tea plant. Taken together, our study provides a global insight into the saponin biosynthesis and accumulation in the tea plant.

Tea Polyphenols Attenuates Inflammation via Reducing Lipopolysaccharides Level and Inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB Pathway in Obese Mice.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and increases the risk of metabolic syndrome through chronic inflammation. Tea polyphenols (TP), the major functional component of tea, has shown preventive effects on obesity and obesity-related disease, but the underlying mechanism is complicated and remains obscure. The present study was aimed to elucidate the anti-inflammation effect of TP in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Results showed that TP reduced obesity-induced inflammation and systemic lipopolysaccharides (LPS) level. The decrease of LPS level in circulation was followed by the downregulation of LPS specific receptor, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and its co-receptor cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) and adaptor protein differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in hepatic and adipose tissues. That further inhibited the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1-beta (IL-1ß) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly decreased by TP in HFD-fed mice. TP also maintained the intestinal barrier integrity by increasing intestinal tight junction proteins and reversed gut dysbiosis in obese mice. These results suggested that TP attenuated obesity-induced inflammation by reducing systemic LPS level and inhibiting LPS-activated TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

5-aminolevulinic acid alleviates the salinity-induced changes in Brassica napus as revealed by the ultrastructural study of chloroplast.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is an important plant growth regulator which is derived from 5-carbon aliphatic amino acid. The present study investigates the interaction of increasing NaCl-salinity and ALA on plant growth, leaf pigment composition, leaf and root Na(+)/K(+) ratio and chloroplast ultrastructure in mesophyll cells of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) leaves. The plants were treated hydroponically with three different salinity levels (0, 100, 200 mM) and foliar application of ALA (30 mg l(-1)) simultaneously. Ten days after treatment, higher NaCl-salinity significantly reduced the plant biomass and height. However, ALA application restored the plant biomass and plant height under saline conditions. A concentration-dependent increase in Na(+) uptake was observed in the aerial parts of B. napus plants. On the other hand, ALA reduced Na(+) uptake, leading to a significant decrease in Na(+)/K(+) ratio. Accumulation of Na(+) augmented the oxidative stress, which was evident by electron microscopic images, highlighting several changes in cell shape and size, chloroplast swelling, increased number of plastogloubli, reduced starch granules and dilations of the thylakoids. Foliar application of ALA improved the energy supply and investment in mechanisms (higher chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, enhanced photosynthetic efficiency), reduced the oxidative stress as evident by the regular shaped chloroplasts with more intact thylakoids. On the basis of these results we can suggest that ALA is a promising plant growth regulator which can improve plant survival under salinity.