Comprehensive comparison of potential flavor-active peptides, amino acids and pigments accumulation in different altitudes cultivated albino teas

Albino tea was known for umami and exhibited varying flavors responding to cultivation and processing, necessitating further exploration. In this study, peptidomics and targeted metabolomics unraveled crucial taste related compounds in low-altitude (L) and high-altitude (H) samples. >300 peptides were newly identified via de novo sequencing, with 24 umami and 19 bitter peptides predicted with potential active cores. Total amino acids content was higher in L (31.62 mg/g) than in H (28.35 mg/g), with theanine and glutamic acid accounting for 54.29 % and 2.02 %, compared to 54.95 % and 7.47 % in H, respectively. Lutein and β-carotene were more abundant at L (> 400 μg/g) than at H (∼200 μg/g), and significantly increased during processing. Epigallocatechin gallate reached 65.18 mg/g in L that higher than H (58.66 mg/g). These findings expanded the understanding of flavor peptides in albino tea and will underscore the importance of altitude-specific strategies achieving premium quality.