Chemometric assessment of the chemical profile of tea seed (Camellia sinensis) with different size determined by GC and ICP/OES

This study was carried out to compare the chemical profile of tea seeds of different sizes determined by GC and ICP/OES devices with chemometric analysis. This study was carried out to determine the effects of different seed size [11.00-12.50 (SD1), 12.51-14.00 (SD2), 14.01-15.50 (SD3), 15.51-17.00 mm (SD4)] on seed internal ratio, crude oil content, fatty acid composition, mineral composition of tea seed by using different chemometric analysis methods (correlation, agglomerative hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis). In the study, fatty acid and mineral compositions were determined in GC and ICP/OES devices, respectively. Crude oil content, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, eicosenoic acids, SFA, MUFA, PUFA, Al, Fe, Mg elements were found to be significant according to different seed size. Among six different fatty acids determined, oleic acid was major component. Positive correlations were found between oleic acid and MUFA, between linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, between linoleic acid and PUFA, between alpha-linolenic acid and PUFA, between Al and Na, between Ca and Pb, between Ca and Zn, between Co and K, between Cr and Cu, between Mg and Ni, between Mg and P. In PCA analysis, it was determined that the SD1 group was different from the other groups in terms of the stearic, linoleic, alpha-linolenic, eicosenoic acids, PUFA, B mineral. In AHC analysis, seed sizes were divided into two different groups according to crude oil content, fatty acid and mineral composition, seed internal ratio. Also, different chemometric analysis methods such as correlation, agglomerative hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis were useful and decisive in determining the quality characteristics of tea seeds classified according to seed size.