A Comprehensive Metabolomic Analysis of Volatile and Non-Volatile Compounds in Folium Artemisia argyi Tea from Different Harvest Times.

Abstract

To develop and utilize Folium Artemisia argyi (FAA) tea resources, UPLC-MS/MS, HS-GC-IMS, and HS-SPME/GC×GC-TOFMS were adopted to analyze its volatile and non-volatile compounds, when harvested from March to June, in combination with its antioxidant activity. Here, 1742 volatile compounds and 8726 non-volatile compounds were identified, with 75 differential volatile metabolites and 36 key flavor compounds screened. Notably, 1-octen-3-one, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-undecenal, and heptanal were identified as major contributors to the sweet, fruity, green, and herbal aromas, and the concentration of them was highest in June-harvest FAA tea. Furthermore, metabolomics revealed that there were 154 non-volatile differential metabolites in FAA tea at four harvest times, which were mainly related to amino acid biosynthetic pathways. Samples harvested in June also showed the strongest antioxidant capacity, which was positively correlated with D-xylitol, L-glutamic acid, honokiol, and costunolide. These findings highlight June as the optimal harvest time, providing FAA tea with superior flavor and enhanced antioxidant properties, underscoring its potential as a valuable resource for functional food development.