Vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) — A different kind of tea hidden deep in the mountains of China: A comprehensive review of the nutritional profile, functional effect, and diverse applications as a novel raw material in food practices

Background

Vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata Hand.-Mazz., VT) is a popular folk tea rich in dihydromyricetin (DMY) that has been consumed in China for more than 600 years with various nutritional components and active ingredients. In recent years, extensive studies have been conducted on deciphering the chemical composition and biological functions of VT. However, the research data on VT are scattered, and the future application trends are not summarised.

Scope and approach

In this review, we recapitulate the manufacturing processes, flavor quality, nutritional composition and active ingredients of VT, and extraction and identification progress and pharmacokinetics for DMY, while emphasising the safety and application of VT as a novel raw food material.

Key findings and conclusions

VT constitute a variety of flavouring components and bioactive ingredients, such as flavonoids, phenols, steroids, terpenoids, fatty acids and volatile components. As a promising and economic Chinese herbal and functional food, VT is widely used in the food industry. We primarily concentrates on summarize the findings about the manufacturing processes, flavor quality, nutritional components, active ingredients, functional activities and safety of VT, as well as the extraction and identification progress and pharmacokinetics for DMY, and discuss the practical applications of VT as a new raw food material in the food and agriculture industries. Moreover, this review offers an innovative perspective on the utilization of VT in these industries, addressing current developments and challenges associated with the deep processing of VT products, and provides insights into the future sustainable development options of VT industries.