Wisnu Eko Murdiono, Nur Amirah Syafiqah Salman, Nor Asma Ab Razak, Mohd. Izuan Effendy Halmi, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Abbe Maleyki Mhd. Jalil, David F.R.P. Burslem, Khairil Mahmud
Tea is a globally popular heritage beverage consumed by over three billion people. The unique taste and health benefits of tea are linked to its nutrient composition and antioxidant activity (AOA). As a plant species, tea's nutrient elements and AOA vary based on season, altitude, clone type and leaf age. This study examined the nutrient composition and AOA of young and mature tea leaves from four clones (BC1248, TRI2024, AT53 and TV9) grown at different altitudes under tropical conditions in Malaysia. The results demonstrated that altitude and clone type significantly influenced (p < 0.05) foliar nutrient elements and AOA. Young tea leaves have higher nutrient levels and AOA than mature leaves across all clones. Interestingly, the foliar nutrient availability was higher in the highlands, although the variation across the four clones was insignificant (p > 0.05). On the other hand, foliar nutrient elements varied significantly among lowland tea clones, except for N and Ca. The highest AOA was recorded in young tea leaves of clone BC1248 at the lowland plantations, with total polyphenol contents (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylradical (DPPH IC50), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values of 19.60 ± 0.15 mg GAE/g, 50.70 ± 1.86 µg/mL, 2.10 ± 0.14 mM Fe (II)/g, respectively. The DPPH IC50 and FRAP varied significantly (p < 0.05), except for TPC among the lowland and highland clones. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), we identified that the tropical lowlands of Malaysia were more suitable for growing tea with high AOA. These findings provide valuable insights for growers to develop sustainable tea farming strategies, ensuring optimal yield and targeted quality under tropical conditions. © 2025 The Authors
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Serdang, 43400, Malaysia; Biodiversity Unit, Institute of Bioscience (IBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Serdang, 43400, Malaysia; Natural Medicine and Product Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience (IBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Serdang, 43400, Malaysia; Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Serdang, 43400, Malaysia; Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden; School of Nutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Terengganu, 21300, Malaysia; Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, United Kingdom
