Sensory preference of unsweetened green tea beverage: Mechanistic insight into the role of nonvolatile components revealed by LC-MS metabolomics.

Consumer satisfaction strongly affects unsweetened green tea beverage (USGTB) market performance. This study aimed to investigate the key compounds driving consumer preference in USGTBs by characterizing their flavor profiles and molecular features via an integrated approach of sensory evaluation, quantitative physicochemical analysis, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics. Hedonic ratings (9-point scale) of 26 commercial USGTBs were clustered into "liked" and "disliked" groups; four samples from each group were selected for in-depth analysis. Color, amino acids, and catechins emerged as primary drivers of hedonic perception. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed 104 differential compounds - including flavanols, phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides, and amino acids - between the two groups. Adding theanine and tryptophan significantly improved preference for a disliked sample (paired preference test). This study pinpoints critical acceptance drivers for USGTBs and informs quality assessment and process optimization in the tea industry.