Correlation analysis between filamentous fungi and chemical compositions in a pu‐erh type tea after a long‐term storage

Abstract

Storage environment caused the difference between Jinhua Pu-erh tea (JPT) and General Pu-erh tea. In this study, fungal flora and chemical compositions were analyzed. The results showed that storage environment caused significant (<i>p</i> < .05) differences of theaflavins (TF), theabrownins (TB), tea polyphenols (TP), and water-soluble sugars (WSS), and a highly significant (<i>p</i> < .01) difference of thearubigins (TR). <i>Aspergillus niger</i>, <i>Aspergillus pallidofulvus</i>, <i>Aspergillus sesamicola</i>, <i>Penicillium manginii,</i> and <i>Aspergillus tamarii</i> were isolated from Pu-erh teas and identified based on colony characteristics and ITS, β-tubulin, and calmodulin gene sequences, respectively. <i>A. pallidofulvus</i>, <i>A. sesamicola</i>, and <i>P. manginii</i> were dominant fungi in JPT and generated macroscopic yellow cleistothecia after a long-term storage. Correlation analysis showed that dominant fungi exhibited significantly (<i>p</i> < .05 or <i>p</i> < .01) positive or negative corrections with TF, TB, TP, WSS, TR, and gallic acid. This study revealed dominant fungi including <i>A. pallidofulvus, A. sesamicola</i>, and <i>P. manginii</i> and their effects on given chemical compositions.