VARIATIONS IN FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF TEA LEAVES (CAMELLIA SINENSIS) DUE TO PLUCKING TIME AND CULTIVARS

Fatty acid in green tea leaves is important flavour precursor which has a negative effect on aroma quality of black teas. In this study, fatty acid composition of three cultivars including Shan Chat Tien, Trung Du and PH11 plucked at different time was analyzed by GC-MS/MS. The results showed that C16:0, C18:2, C18:1, C18:0 and C18:3 were the most abundant fatty acids indentified in tea leaves. In particular, total saturated fatty acid in the tea leaves plucked in June and September was higher than total unsaturated fatty acid and vice versa for sample plucked in March. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that fatty acid compositions in samples plucked in June of three cultivars were similar to each other and they were characterized by C18:0, C22:0 and C20:0. The sample plucked in March and in September were characterized by C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3, andC18:1, C16:1, C18:0, C14:1 and C14:0; respectively. The sample plucked in March had the highest total fat content followed by sample plucked in September and June. The results showed that plucking time and cultivars significantly influenced the fatty acid composition of tea leaves.