Journal of Tea Science Research, 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 169-181 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/jtsr 179 elucidate these pathways. For instance, pathway-based metabolomics has been used to explore the biosynthetic mechanisms of key flavor compounds in mango, revealing core metabolic pathways such as butanoate metabolism, phenylalanine biosynthesis, and terpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Similarly, the reconstruction of metabolic pathways in microbial systems has enabled the production of economically relevant plant secondary metabolites, highlighting the potential for biotechnological applications in tea metabolite biosynthesis. The insights gained from these studies have significant implications for the tea industry and research. Understanding the biosynthetic pathways of tea secondary metabolites can lead to the development of strategies to enhance the flavor and aroma of tea, thereby improving its marketability and consumer appeal. Additionally, the ability to produce these metabolites in microbial hosts offers a sustainable and scalable alternative to traditional cultivation methods, potentially reducing production costs and environmental impact. This could also provide reference for the production of novel tea flavors and the enhancement of specific health benefits associated with tea consumption. Future research in tea metabolite biosynthesis should focus on several key areas. There is a need for comprehensive pathway-based metabolomics studies to identify and characterize the full spectrum of secondary metabolites in different tea cultivars. This will require the integration of untargeted and targeted metabolomics approaches, as demonstrated in mango. Advances in next-generation sequencing and gene silencing techniques should be leveraged to elucidate the genetic and regulatory mechanisms underlying these pathways. Finally, the development of biotechnological methods for the production of tea metabolites in microbial systems should be further explored, with an emphasis on optimizing yield and scalability. Acknowledgments We thank the two anonymous peer reviewers for their valuable feedback and suggestions on the manuscript of this study. Fundings This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 32160077], the Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Province (ZK[2021] 155), the Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Province (ZK[2021] 155) and the Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences Talent Special Project [grant number 2022-02 and 2023-02]. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Reference Ashihara H., and Crozier A., 2001, Caffeine: a well known but little mentioned compound in plant science, Trends in Plant Science, 6(9): 407-413. Chen S., Liu H., Zhao X., Li X., Shan W., Wang X., Wang S., Yu W., Yang Z., and Yu X., 2020, Non-targeted metabolomics analysis reveals dynamic changes of volatile and non-volatile metabolites during oolong tea manufacture, Food Research International, 128: 108778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108778 Deng W.W., Ogita S., and Ashihara H., 2009, Ethylamine content and theanine biosynthesis in different organs of Camellia sinensis seedlings, Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C, 64(5-6): 387-390. Dziggel C., Schäfer H., and Wink M., 2017, Tools of pathway reconstruction and production of economically relevant plant secondary metabolites in recombinant microorganisms, Biotechnology Journal, 12(1): 1600145. https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.201600145 Fang K., Xia Z., Li H., Jiang X., Qin D., Wang Q., Wang Q., Pan C., Li B., and Wu H., 2021, Genome-wide association analysis identified molecular markers associated with important tea flavor-related metabolites, Horticulture Research, 8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-021-00477-3 Han Z., Rana M., Liu G., Gao M., Li D., Wu F., Li X., Wan X., and Wei S., 2016, Green tea flavour determinants and their changes over manufacturing processes, Food Chemistry, 212: 739-748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.06.049 Huang H., Yao Q., Xia E., and Gao L., 2018, Metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses reveal nitrogen influences on the accumulation of flavonoids and amino acids in young shoots of tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) associated with tea flavor, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66(37): 9828-9838. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b01995
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