title: Genetic Variation of Flavonols Quercetin, Myricetin, and Kaempferol in the Sri Lankan Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) and Their Health-Promoting Aspects.
abstract: Flavonol glycosides in tea leaves have been quantified as aglycones, quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol. Occurrence of the said compounds was reported in fruits and vegetable for a long time in association with the antioxidant potential. However, data on flavonols in tea were scanty and, hence, this study aims to envisage the flavonol content in a representative pool of accessions present in the Sri Lankan tea germplasm. Significant amounts of myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol have been detected in the beverage type tea accessions of the Sri Lankan tea germplasm. This study also revealed that tea is a good source of flavonol glycosides. The Camellia sinensis var. sinensis showed higher content of myricetin, quercetin, and total flavonols than var. assamica and ssp. lasiocalyx. Therefore flavonols and their glycosides can potentially be used in chemotaxonomic studies of tea germplasm. The nonbeverage type cultivars, especially Camellia rosaflora and Camellia japonica Red along with the exotic accessions resembling China type, could be useful in future germplasm studies because they are rich sources of flavonols, namely, quercetin and kaempferol, which are potent antioxidants. The flavonol profiles can be effectively used in choosing parents in tea breeding programmes to generate progenies with a wide range of flavonol glycosides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Brasathe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jeganathan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, 00300 Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: P A Nimal
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1265-1129
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Punyasiri
authors.affiliation: Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: J Dananjaya
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kottawa-Arachchi
authors.affiliation: Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Mahasen A B
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ranatunga
authors.affiliation: Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: I Sarath B
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Abeysinghe
authors.affiliation: Coordinating Secretariat for Science, Technology & Innovation, 3rd Floor, Standard Charted Building, Janadhipathi Mawatha, 00100 Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: M T Kumudini
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gunasekare
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: B M Ratnayake
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bandara