Effect of pile fermentation on the cells of Chinese Liupao tea: The first record of cell wall of Liupao tea on transmission electron microscope. (1st November 2021) - Pang, Bowen
Highlights: Fermentation degrades the cell wall of Liupao tea, the middle lamella (ML) degrades obviously, whereas the primary wall is complete. After fermentation, the decrease in hemicellulose and increase in water-soluble pectin (WSP) were remarkable. Compared with traditional fermentation, tank fermentation has a greater impact on the cell wall of Liupao tea in terms of degradation. The tea polysaccharide (TPS) increased significantly after fermentation, which may be related to cell wall degradation. Abstract: Fermentation often degrades the cell wall of dark tea, changes the carbohydrate components in the cell wall of tea, and thus affects the quality of tea. However, the lack of ultrastructural details limits our knowledge on the effect of fermentation on tea cell walls. Morphological studies of cell structures are important; thus, the cell wall of Liupao tea was analyzed under transmission electron microscopy for the first time, and the effects of different raw materials and fermentation methods on the cell wall and main carbohydrates of tea were compared. Overall, fermentation degrades the cell wall of Liupao tea under the action of microorganisms. Interestingly, the middle lamella degrades obviously, whereas the primary wall is complete. The decrease in hemicellulose and increase in water-soluble pectin (WSP) were remarkable, whereas the changes in cellulose and WSP were considerably correlated with the increase in tea polysaccharide (TPS). The results suggest that cell wall degradation might be related to the increase in TPS.