Progress of research on Nankunshan Maoyecha

Abstract

Nankunshan Maoyecha, a natural non-caffeine and high-theobromine tea variety, is a special tea resource in southern China. This tea is known to have the functions of strengthening heart, diuresis, helping digestion, protection from myocardial ischemia, improving the body dynamic endurance, antitumor activity, etc. In this paper, the progress of research on Nankunshan Maoyecha such as biological characteristics, molecular biology, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects and the utilization, is summarized, and the prospects in breeding and action mechanism are reviewed.

Nankunshan Maoyecha (Camellia ptilophylla Chang) is a natural non-caffeine tea variety, which has been discovered by Chang Hung-ta in Guangdong, China, in 1980s (Chang, 1981; Chang et al., 1988). Maoyecha is also called Cocoa tea because its predominant purine alkaloid is not caffeine but theobromine, which is about 3-6% in dry weight and contains little theophylline (Fig.1). The processed tea of Maoyecha has no clear difference in flavour from the ordinary tea (Xu, 2007), but it is devoid of the problems caused by caffeine, such as insomnia, anxiety, infertility, etc. The discovery of Maoyecha has caught worldwide attention.