Comprehensive evaluation of the composition of Mingshan Laochuancha green tea and demonstration of hypolipidemic activity in a zebrafish obesity model

Abstract

Laochuancha is an ancient tea plant originating from the Mingshan district of Ya'an city, Sichuan province, China, which is used to produce tea products with excellent quality. Mingshan Laochuancha green tea (MLGT) is a type of green tea manufactured from Laochuancha tea leaves. Currently, not much is known regarding the chemical compositions of MLGT and its bioactivity. Herein, the present study explores, for the first time, the chemical compositions and hypolipidemic activity of MLGT. It was observed that K was the most abundant element of 26.58 mg g⁻¹, and contents of toxic As, Cd, Cr and Pb elements were all below concentration limits. Alcohols (55.65%) were the main volatiles, and numerous volatiles with chestnut-like aroma were detected. Total content of 21 amino acids was 28.61 mg g⁻¹, and amino acids with velvety-like and umami taste totally accounted for 65.39%. The high content of amino acids and low ratio of polyphenols to total amino acids were attributed to strong umami and mellow taste of MLGT. Moreover, catechins and alkaloids were abundant in MLGT, where EGCG (85.82 mg g⁻¹) and caffeine (33.78 mg g⁻¹) were at highest content. Analyses of chemical compositions revealed excellent quality of MLGT. Correspondingly, MLGT showed potent hypolipidemic activity, and water extract of MLGT at 200 μg mL⁻¹ significantly reduced lipid level to 43.06% of high-fat zebrafish. Results firstly revealed the quality characteristics of MLGT and provided further insights into bioactivity of Laochuancha.