Anthocyanin metabolism and its differential regulation in purple tea (Camellia sinensis)

Tea plants (Camellia sinensis) typically contain high-flavonoid phytochemicals like catechins. Recently, new tea cultivars with unique purple-colored leaves have gained attention. These purple tea cultivars are enriched with anthocyanin, which provides an interesting perspective for studying the metabolic flux of the flavonoid pathway. An increasing number of studies are focusing on the leaf color formation of purple tea and this review aims to summarize the latest progress made on the composition and accumulation of anthocyanins in tea plants. In addition, the regulation mechanism in its synthesis will be discussed and a hypothetical regulation model for leaf color transformation during growth will be proposed. Some novel insights are presented to facilitate future in-depth studies of purple tea to provide a theoretical basis for targeted breeding programs in leaf color.

Automated summary

Recently, there has been increased attention on the purple tea cultivars with unique purple-colored leaves. These cultivars are enriched with anthocyanin, which provides a new perspective for studying the metabolic flux of flavonoids in tea plants. This review aims to summarize the latest progress on the composition and accumulation of anthocyanins in tea plants, with discussions on the regulation mechanism and a proposed hypothetical model for leaf color transformation during growth. Novel insights presented in this review will facilitate future in-depth studies of purple tea, providing a theoretical basis for targeted breeding programs in leaf color.