biostudies-literatureUnknown27Fang SThis study aimed to compare white teas derived from ancient tea plants (AT) and the cultivar '<i>Qiancha 1</i>' (QC1) using multi-omics approaches, focusing on differences in volatile/non-volatile components, sensory traits, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Both teas shared sweet aromas and mellow tastes, but AT exhibited significantly stronger floral intensity (<i>p</i> < 0.05), whereas QC1 dominated in citrus/fruity aroma. GC-olfactometry and chemometric modeling identified six key metabolites, with trans-β-ionone (rOAV = 149.6) and β-damascenone (rOAV = 47.6) driving floral and citrus/fruity characteristics, respectively. Targeted metabolomics revealed significantly higher levels of ester-catechins, caffeine, and gallic acid in AT. These compounds exhibited significant dose-responFood chemistry: X102408https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12013395biostudies-literatureCharacterizing flavor determinants and α-glucosidase inhibitory components in ancient tea plants and '&lt;i&gt;Qiancha 1&lt;/i&gt;' white teas.PMC12013395Shen QHuang WFang WRan JMa YFang SZhu XfalseCharacterizing flavor determinants and α-glucosidase inhibitory components in ancient tea plants and '&lt;i&gt;Qiancha 1&lt;/i&gt;' white teas.This study aimed to compare white teas derived from ancient tea plants (AT) and the cultivar '<i>Qiancha 1</i>' (QC1) using multi-omics approaches, focusing on differences in volatile/non-volatile components, sensory traits, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Both teas shared sweet aromas and mellow tastes, but AT exhibited significantly stronger floral intensity (<i>p</i> < 0.05), whereas QC1 dominated in citrus/fruity aroma. GC-olfactometry and chemometric modeling identified six key metabolites, with trans-β-ionone (rOAV = 149.6) and β-damascenone (rOAV = 47.6) driving floral and citrus/fruity characteristics, respectively. Targeted metabolomics revealed significantly higher levels of ester-catechins, caffeine, and gallic acid in AT. These compounds exhibited significant dose-respon2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Apr2025-07-01T03:05:12.285Z2025-07-01T03:05:12.285ZS-EPMC120133954026444310.1016/j.fochx.2025.102408