한국 재래종 차나무(Camellia sinensis)의 작물학적 특성 및 품질관련 성분 변이

초록

The tea has traditionally been used as a foodstuff by unique flavor, however recently not only the diversity of consumer demands but also the public interest in unique favorite and functional aspects have increased. It has been also reported that the main components contained in the leaves of tea (Camellia sinensis) include total nitrogen, free amino acids, polyphenols, and fiber, of which catechin has powerful bioactive effect such as anti-cancer, anti-aging, and anti-diabetic. (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is a major phenolic constituent of green tea extract has received considerable attention for a variety of important bioactivities. This study was carried out to obtain useful information for tea breeding programs, and to investigate the concentration of quality and functional related components in Korean indigenous tea germplasms. Korean indigenous tea lines were classified into three groups of sprout time, i.e, early, medium and late sprout time, and the ratio were 20%, 43% and 37%, respectively. There was a difference in characteristics among these Korean indigenous tea lines, leaf width of those ranged from 19.8 to 75 mm, leaf length was 35.5-160.0 mm, and leaf area was 660-8,400 mm². Experimental data on chlorophyll content (SPAD value) of Korean indigenous tea genetic resources ranged from 51.3 to 82.3. The concentrations of the total nitrogen, total free amino acids, and theanine were ranged 4.18-6.07%, 2.87-4.58%, and 1.64-2.66%, respectively. Also, catechin concentration showed from 11.54 to 15.07%, and concentration of caffeine was 2.82-4.23%. These results indicated that it is possible to select elite lines with high concentration of quality related components and low concentration of caffeine from Korean domestic tea germplasms.

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