Catechins, a class of polyphenolic compounds found in tea, have attracted significant attention due to their numerous health benefits, particularly for the treatment and protection of hypertension. However, the potential targets and mechanisms of action of catechins in combating hypertension remain unclear. This study systematically investigates the anti-hypertensive mechanisms of tea catechins using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. The results indicate that 23 potential anti-hypertensive targets for eight catechin components were predicted through public databases. The analysis of protein–protein interaction (PPI) identified three key targets (MMP9, BCL2, and HIF1A). KEGG pathway and GO enrichment analyses revealed that these key targets play significant roles in regulating vascular smooth muscle contraction, promoting angiogenesis, and mediating vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling. The molecular docking results demonstrate that the key targets (MMP9, BCL2, and HIF1A) effectively bind with catechin components (CG, GCG, ECG, and EGCG) through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed the stability of the binding between catechins and the targets. This study systematically elucidates the potential mechanisms by which tea catechins treat anti-hypertension and provides a theoretical basis for the development and application of tea catechins as functional additives for the prevention of hypertension.

Catechins are the major flavor substances in teas, which have a variety of health effects; however, high catechin and high sensory quality are a pair of contradictions that are difficult to coordinate. To explore the processing procedure with high catechins and high sensory quality, a single-factor processing experiment was carried out over the processing production of oolong tea. Combined with orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), correlation analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA), the optimal production procedure for oolong tea is as follows: red light withering for 8 h, leaf rotating for 10 min with a total standing time for 8 h, drum roasting for 5 min at 290 °C, low-temperature rolling (flattening at 4 °C for 5 min, without pressure for 1 min and under pressure for 5 min), microwave drying (800 W for 7.5 min). This study demonstrates a significant increase in the retention of catechins, which contributes to the mellow and brisk tastes of oolong tea, addressing the challenge of catechin content and sensory quality. Our study provides a novel insight into the relationship between the oolong tea processing and flavor formation.

Planting soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in tea gardens decreased soil pH in theory but increased it in practice. This controversy was addressed in this study by treating the tea garden soil consecutively with different parts of a soybean cover crop: aboveground soybean (ASB) parts, underground soybean (USB) root residues, and the whole soybean (WSB) plants. In comparison with the control, the soil pH increased significantly after the third ASB and WSB treatments, but there was no significant change in the soil pH in the USB treatment. Concordantly, the soil exchangeable acidity decreased significantly and the soil exchangeable bases increased significantly in the ASB and WSB treatments. The exchangeable acidity increased in the USB treatment, but the amount of the increased acidity was less than that of the increased bases in the ASB treatment, resulting in a net increase in the exchangeable bases in the WSB treatment. Soybean planting and covering also increased the microbial richness and abundance significantly, which led to significantly more soil organic matters. Exchangeable K⁺ and Mg²⁺, and soil organic matters played significantly positive roles and exchangeable Al³⁺ played negative roles in improving soil pH. Our data suggest that consecutive plantings of soybean cover crop increase the pH of the acidified tea garden soil.

Gallic acid (GA), as a precursor of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) biosynthesis in tea plant, is one of the important components of tea flavor and has various health benefits. However, the mechanism of endogenous hormones regulating GA biosynthesis during the development of buds and leaves of tea shoots is still unclear. In this study, the buds and leaves of five different developmental stages of tea shoots were used as test materials to explore the mechanism of endogenous hormone signaling pathway regulating GA biosynthesis. The results showed that the decrease of D-erythrosyl-4-phosphate content and the increase of shikimic acid content affected the accumulation of GA content during the development of tea shoots. Jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin inhibited GA biosynthesis by down-regulating the expression of two CsaroDEs through twenty-three plant hormone signal transduction factors, such as CsMYC2, CsSNRK2, CsARR-A, and CsDELLA, respectively, which mediated the downregulation of sixteen transcription factors, such as CsMYB44, CsMYB108, and CsC2C2. CsMYC2 and CsSNRK2 co-mediated the downregulation of the expression of CsMYB44 and CsMYB108 in response to changes in endogenous JA and ABA content, respectively, and inhibited the expression of CsaroDE, thereby co-regulating GA biosynthesis. CsMYC2 may be a key interworking site for the endogenous Jasmonic acid and abscisic acid signaling pathways to jointly regulate GA biosynthesis. Our findings revealed the potential mechanism of endogenous hormones regulating GA biosynthesis during the development of buds and leaves of tea shoots and provided a scientific basis for the regulation of tea quality.

Aging, characterized by a gradual decline in physiological function, is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. White tea, one of China's traditional tea types, exhibits various health benefits due to its unique chemical composition, with its anti‐aging potential drawing increasing attention. Gallic acid (GA), one of the important bioactive components in white tea, possesses antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties, but its anti‐aging mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, high‐performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze the evolution of GA content and to determine the antioxidant capacity of aged white tea. Results revealed that the GA content increased with storage time, accompanied by a corresponding enhancement in the antioxidant potency composite index (APC). Network pharmacology predicted 40 potential anti‐aging targets of GA, and protein–protein interaction network analysis identified six key targets (MAOA, PTGS2, BCL2, APP, IGF1R, SERPINE1). Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the anti‐aging effects of GA are mediated through multiple pathways, particularly those related to oxidative stress. Molecular docking results demonstrated that GA could bind effectively to the six key targets via hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the binding stability of GA with MAOA, PTGS2, and BCL2. This study systematically elucidates the evolution of GA in aged white tea and its potential anti‐aging mechanisms, providing a theoretical basis for the development of GA and aged white tea as functional anti‐aging additives.

Ecological factors directly influence the growth and metabolism of tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.), and unfavorable environmental conditions cause abiotic stress to them. Abiotic stress causes damage to reliable, high-quality, and safe tea production, yet the optimal ecological conditions for enhancing both yield and quality remain unclear. To investigate the response patterns of shoot growth to ecological factors and its relationship with catechin accumulation, this study conducted the cultivation of tea plants with a precise modulation of both individual and combined ecological parameters. Under 30 °C and 90% air humidity, specific combinations of light intensity and substrate relative humidity (“250 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ + 65%” or “350 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ + 70%”) significantly enhanced growth and yield. A significant correlation between shoot growth and catechin accumulation was observed, and mathematical models further revealed a synergistic response between shoot growth capacity and total catechin content to ecological factors. Furthermore, co-expression analysis indicated that catechin biosynthesis-related genes exhibited coordinated expression with key growth-related genes, including CsTCP, CsErf, and CsXth. In conclusion, these findings identify optimal ecological conditions to mitigate abiotic stress and reveal a synergistic relationship between catechin biosynthesis and shoot growth, providing an ecological basis for balancing yield and quality in tea production.