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Researchers assert that they have discovered the key to achieving the ideal cup of tea, and it is not related to the timing of adding milk.
Experts suggest that a group of microorganisms living on the tea plant roots may hold the key to making a tasty cup of tea.
Chinese scientists have pinpointed a collection of soil bacteria that have the potential to enhance the flavor of high-quality tea.
These microorganisms collaborate to enhance the production of a specific amino acid called theanine, which is the primary compound responsible for the flavor of tea.
The scientists suggested that directing attention towards microbial communities for improving tea flavors could be a more effective approach for creating a delicious brew compared to altering the genetics of tea plants.
The UK received a warning about a potential shortage of tea.
In a study published in the journal Current Biology, the scientists examined the microorganisms present on the roots of tea plants.
Next, they examined the nitrogen cycle in plants, a fundamental aspect of plant biology in which nitrogen gas is transformed into a usable form, like ammonia.
The scientists pinpointed the various microorganisms linked to improved nitrogen processing.
According to them, these microorganisms affected the absorption of ammonia by plants, which is crucial for photosynthesis, resulting in increased production of theanine.
The scientists developed a synthetic microbial community called SynCom in hopes of increasing theanine production in tea plants.
Professor Tongda Xu, of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fujian, China, said: “Through the isolation and assembly of a synthetic microbial community from high-quality tea plant roots, we managed to notably enhance the amino acid content in various tea plant varieties, resulting in an improvement in tea quality.”
During the experiment with Rougui, a type of Chinese tea plant, the researchers observed that SynCom increased the levels of theanine in the plants.
According to the researchers, these microorganisms also enabled the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, which is often used in plant biology research, to better withstand low levels of nitrogen.
According to Wenxin Tang, a researcher at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, the original goal of creating a synthetic microbial community from high-quality tea plant roots was to improve the quality of lower-grade tea plants.
“Surprisingly, our research revealed that the artificial microbial community not only improves the quality of lower-grade tea crops, but also has a positive impact on select higher-quality tea varieties.”
Moreover, this impact is especially evident in soils with low levels of nitrogen.
The team’s research could not only improve the flavor of tea, but also decrease the reliance on chemical fertilizers that enhance nitrogen processing. This could have wider effects on other crops in agriculture.
According to Professor Xu, our current experiments have shown that incorporating the SynCom21 microbial community not only increases the absorption of ammonium nitrogen in various types of tea, but also enhances the uptake of ammonium nitrogen in Arabidopsis thaliana.
This indicates that SynCom21’s ability to enhance ammonium nitrogen uptake may be useful for a range of plants, including different types of crops.
Source: independent.co.uk
