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—