Journal Article

Comparative Analysis of Fungal Communities and the Key “Golden‐Flower” Fungi in Fu Brick Tea From Seven Chinese Regions and Their Effects on the Quality of Summer‐Autumn Tea

Ma, Mengyao, Xiao, Yu, Zhao, Yiqiao, Liu, Zhonghua, Wang, Kunbo, Zhao, Jinqi, Huang, Jianan, Zhu, Mingzhi, Guo, Shiyu, Ran, Lisha

2026

Overview

Fu brick tea (FBT) is a distinctive microbial‐fermented dark tea from China; however, systematic studies on its fungal communities and “golden‐flower” fungi remain limited. In this study, 52 FBT samples from seven representative regions were analyzed to investigate their fungal community structure and “golden‐flower” fungi. High‐throughput sequencing revealed Aspergillus as the dominant genus (65.58%–98.85%), followed by Wallemia (0.17%–19.58%) and Candida (0.01%–18.47%). A total of 52 “golden‐flower” fungi, one from each sample, were isolated and identified as Aspergillus cristatus based on morphological features, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing, and multigene phylogenetic analysis (BenA, CaM, and RPB2). Haplotype analysis revealed four distinct haplotypes: Haplotype₁ and Haplotype₃ were shared across all regions, whereas Haplotype₂ and Haplotype₄ were unique to Hunan. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) results indicated that genetic differentiation was primarily attributed to individual differences among strains, with minor divergence among geographical groups. The fastest growing strain from each region was selected to assess its influence on summer‐autumn tea quality using non‐targeted and targeted metabolomics, along with electronic sensory analysis (electronic eye [E‐eye] and electronic tongue [E‐tongue]). These strains were found to reduce catechins, flavonols, flavones, and phenolic acids, while increasing polymerized catechins and their derivatives, thereby improving overall flavor. Notably, strains from Shaanxi, Anhui, and Sichuan exhibited superior fermentation performance compared to those from Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Zhejiang. This study provides new insights into the functional characteristics of A. cristatus in FBT, offering a scientific basis for quality improvement and the utilization of microbial resources in dark tea production. This study systematically investigated 52 Fu brick tea (FBT) samples collected from seven representative regions in China. High‐through put sequencing revealed that Aspergillus, Wallemia, and Candida were the predominant fungal genera across the samples. Atotal of 52 “golden‐flower” fungal isolates were obtained andall were identified as Aspergillus cristatus based on morphological characteristics, ITs sequencing, and multigene phylogenetic analyses using BenA, caM, and RPB2. To further evaluate the impact of regional strains on the qualityof summer‐autumn tea, the fastest‐growing A. cristatus strain from each region was selected for fermentation experiments. Their effects on tea quality were assessedusing integrated non‐targeted and targeted metabolomics combined with electronic sensory evaluation through E‐eye and E‐tongue analyses. These findings deepen ourunderstanding of A. cristatus diversity in FBT and highlight the functional differences among A. cristatus strains in shaping tea quality.

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,Wiley
• Subject: Autumn / Bricks / Catechin / Chromatography / Community structure / Comparative analysis / diversity | electronic sensory analysis | Fu brick tea | fungal communities | “Golden‐flower” fungi | multigene phylogenetic analysis | non‐targeted/targeted metabolomics / Electronic tongues / Fermentation / Flavones / Flavonols / Fungi / Genetic diversity / Haplotypes / Identification / Mass spectrometry / Metabolomics / Microorganisms / Morphology / Phenolic acids / Phylogenetics / Polyphenols / Quality control / Scientific imaging / Sensory evaluation / Summer / Tea