The production of phenylacetaldehyde from L-phenylalanine in tea fermentation

Tea leaves macerated with L-phenylalanine generated rose like aroma. The gas chromatogram of the essential oil obtained from these leaves showed extremely large peak of phenylacetaldehyde. The evidence for degradation of L-phenylalanine to phenylacetaldehyde and carbon dioxide was given by the radioactive tracer experiment using L-phenylalanine-U-14C. The phenylacetaldehyde was presumed to be an intermediate product in tea fermentation from the data on the changes of the compound in tea fermentation process.