New Biology

Up-regulation of secondary antioxidant metabolites in Darjeeling grown tea clones under

natural and artificial UV radiation exposure
Jessica Li Maan Chen1, Mohini Basu1, Reetish Raj Sahoo1, Hridi Halder1, Sagnik
Bhattacharjee1, Shuvrangshu Guha1,Saheli Dey1, Sailanki Nandy1, Sudeshna Shyam
Choudhury1 *
*Corresponding author (mantul2000@rediffmail.com)
1:Department of Microbiology , St.Xavier’s College(Autonomous) , Kolkata

ABSTRACT

Naturally prevalent ultraviolet radiation (280-320nm) is responsible to upregulate secondary

metabolites in high altitude grown plants. Artificial UV exposures are also capable to upregulate
antioxidant metabolites but in lesser extent. Different altitude grown tea leaves were collected
from Darjeeling (27.0360° N, 88.2627° E)tea gardens (Gopaldhara- 6500 ft msl, Thurbo- 5500ft
msl, Phuguri 3900 ft msl, Sourenee 2500 ft msl) for two different seasons and corresponding
UV radiation was monitored with UV meter—Gopaldhara--4500 μW/cm2/sec during first flush
and 5000 μW/cm2/sec during second flush, Sourenee--2000 μW/cm2/sec during first flush and
2800 μW/cm2/sec during second flush . After collection of leaves the morphological, biochemical
and microbiological characterization was done. Antioxidant potential, total flavonoids,
polyphenols, UV absorbing compounds were monitored- which shows that there is a correlation
between UV dose (natural) with up-regulated secondary metabolites in tea leaves—increased
natural UV dose up-regulates increased secondary metabolites, moreover second flush leaves
show higher content of all those metabolites. In higher altitude grown tea leaves (first flush) total
flavonoid content is higher like Gopaldhara tea clones 5.8 mg/ml GAE, where as Phuguri grown
tea clones contain 3.02 mg/ml GAE, in both the cases the content were increased in second
flushes. Antioxidant potential are also higher in high altitude grown Thurbo clones—70.09%,
whereas low altitude Sourenee grown tea leaves have lower antioxidant potential like 56.08%.
Antimicrobial potentials are higher in high altitude grown leaves –Gopaldhara tea clones show
4.5 mm zone of inhibition against Bacillus sp., whereas Phuguri tea clone shows lower zone of
inhibition is around 2.66mm. The antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials were higher in second
flush tea. The same observations were also followed for manufactured tea of above two flushes.
One year old potted tea plants were exposed under artificial UV radiation. It was observed that
the upregulated polyphenols, flavonoid content is directly proportional to artificial UV dose up to
21 days. Artificial UV dose was set around 1070.85μW/cm2/sec with UV lamps and a control
experiment was set where the UV radiation was hindered with soda glass(able to cut UV-B
radiation of 320nm). Flavonoid content increases upto 20% in UV treated tea plant with respect
to control within 21 days period , as well as antioxidant potential was initially 35% in UV treated
plant which increases upto 68.7% after 21 days, but there is no remarkable change in
antimicrobial potential. The soil microbes were characterized for both natural and artificial UV
exposure.

Keywords: Natural and Artificial , UV radiation , tea, high altitude, antioxidant , antimicrobial