Flavonoids and their correlation with key microbiota analysis reveals the quality of Pu-erh tea head

Tea head, a tea lumps that cannot be broken during the pile-fermentation, has significant differences in flavor compared to normal ripened Pu-erh tea. In the present study, the metabolites profile, constitutes of flavonoids and their correlation with key microbiota in ripened Pu-erh tea (PE21) and tea head (CT21) were studied. Preliminary analysis revealed that lipids and phenolic compounds were the main differential metabolites. Quantitative analysis of flavonoids indicated that flavone, flavonol and chalcone showed significantly higher content in CT21, and flavone glycosides and flavonol glycosides were the main differential flavonoids with significantly higher content in CT21. Correlation analysis between differential flavonoids and microorganisms indicated that the fungi most correlated with differential flavonoids were Syncephalastrum and Talaromyces , while the bacteria most correlated with differential flavonoids was Bacillus_f__ Bacillaceae. • Lipids and phenolic compounds in CT-21 and PE-21 were significantly different. • Tea head had significantly higher content in flavone, flavonol and chalcone. • The metabolic pathways based on flavonoids in CT21 and PE21 were revealed. • Main microorganisms contributing to differential metabolism of flavonoids were revealed.