Changing Respiratory Pathways in Tea Leaves during the Black Tea Fermentation
1966 Volume 1966 Issue 26 Pages 63-68
Details
1966 Volume 1966 Issue 26 Pages 63-68
1. The O2 uptake of the fresh leaves was sensitive to azide and antimycin A, both of which inhibited the cytochrome oxidase system. And then the sensitivities to malonate and monoiodoacetate were high.
2. After withering, the sensitivities to the above mentioned reagents were declined, and the ratio of QCO2 to QO2 decreased to about 0.65. Therefore, it was thought that the activity of the cytochrome oxidase system declined and that of the polyphenol oxidase system increased in this stage.
3. The O2 uptake of the rolled leaves increased twice as much as that of fresh leaves and the ratio of QCO2 to QO2 declined about 0.3 to 0.4.
In this stage, the O2 uptake was no longer inhibited (may even be stimulated) by azide or antimycin A. And it was not promoted by DNP, which acts as an uncoupling agent.
The developed O2 uptake of the rolled leaves decreased fastly during the fermentation.
4. The O2 uptake of the fresh leaves was inhibited by (+) catechin or the oxidized polyphenlos in black tea infusion, and especially the influence of the latter was larger. Therefore, it was thought that the activity of the cytochrome oxidase system in the withered or the rolled leaves was depressed by the accumulation of the oxidized polyphenols.
