Objective Quality and safety of Shoumei white teas made of autumn leaves plucked from three tested cultivars in southern Jiangxi Province were analyzed to promote the underutilized resources.

Method Fresh leaves of Fuding Dabaicha, Jinmudan, and Huangguanyin tea bushes in Gannan region were plucked to make Shoumei white tea. Produced tea samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for quality determination. The brewed teas were discriminately examined by a sensory evaluation panel.

Result The leaves of the three tea cultivars significantly differed chemically as well as in the sensory quality of the brewed Shoumei white teas made from them. Among the different varieties, Huangguanyin received the highest sensory score for its bright yellow and prominent floral aromatic steeped tea. The exquisite quality also shared by Jinmudan, and both were judged to outperform Fuding Dabaicha. On the major functional ingredients, the teas contained theaflavin ranging 2.60-4.17 mg·g⁻¹, arubigin 25.39-33.91 mg·g⁻¹, tea polyphenol 135.22-151.88 mg·g⁻¹, total free amino acid 37.53-49.00 mg·g⁻¹, caffeine 52.53-53.46 mg·g⁻¹, and phenol-to-amine ratio 2.84-4.05. The highest contents of total free amino acid and the lowest phenol-to-amine ratio were detected on Fuding Dabaicha, the highest polyphenol content and phenol-to-amine ratio in Jinmudan, and the highest soluble sugar content and the lowest phenol-to-amine ratio in Huangguanyin. Residues of Acephate, Dicofol, and Fenvalerate in the teas were within the national MRL standards, indicating the applications of these commercial pesticides at the area plantations to be safe for consumption.

Conclusion Significant chemical differences existed among the three varieties of tea in Gannan region. Overall, Huangguanyin was considered suitable for making Shoumei white tea, and Jinmudan advantageous for its aromatic quality.