The use of green tea (Camellia sinensis) leaf flavan-3-ol composition in predicting plain black tea quality potential

Abstract

Reliable and quantifiable green leaf parameters for predicting black tea quality potential of tea bushes at the single bush stage are necessary to shorten tea breeding and clonal selection programmes. Green leaf flavan-3-ols (catechins) and plain black tea quality of 11 popular Kenyan clones were determined. The individual green leaf flavan-3-ols, and all the black tea quality parameters and sensory evaluations, except total flavan-3-ols were significantly different. The green leaf epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) levels significantly correlated with black tea total theaflavin (r= 0.749, P⩽ 0.007), liquor brightness (r= 0.898, P⩽ 0.0001) levels and Taster B (r= 0.595, P⩽ 0.051) sensory evaluations, and negatively with thearubigins (r=− 0.652, P⩽ 0.027), while green leaf epicatechin (EC) levels correlated positively with thearubigins (r= 0.694, P⩽ 0.016) and negatively with theaflavin digallate …