From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space
Tea is one of the world's most popular beverages, known for its cultural significance and numerous health benefits. A clear understanding of the origin and history of domestication of the tea species is a fundamental pre-requisite for effective germplasm conservation and improvement. Though the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.706770/full |
| _version_ | 1818584769379696640 |
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| author | Moses C. Wambulwa Moses C. Wambulwa Muditha K. Meegahakumbura Samson Kamunya Francis N. Wachira |
| author_facet | Moses C. Wambulwa Moses C. Wambulwa Muditha K. Meegahakumbura Samson Kamunya Francis N. Wachira |
| author_sort | Moses C. Wambulwa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tea is one of the world's most popular beverages, known for its cultural significance and numerous health benefits. A clear understanding of the origin and history of domestication of the tea species is a fundamental pre-requisite for effective germplasm conservation and improvement. Though there is a general consensus about the center of origin of the tea plant, the evolutionary origin and expansion history of the species remain shrouded in controversy, with studies often reporting conflicting findings. This mini review provides a concise summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the origin, domestication, and dissemination of the species around the world. We note that tea was domesticated around 3000 B.C. either from non-tea wild relatives (probably Camellia grandibracteata and/or C. leptophylla) or intra-specifically from the wild Camellia sinensis var. assamica trees, and that the genetic origins of the various tea varieties may need further inquiry. Moreover, we found that lineage divergence within the tea family was apparently largely driven by a combination of orogenic, climatic, and human-related forces, a fact that could have important implications for conservation of the contemporary tea germplasm. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness of an integrative approach involving linguistics, historical records, and genetics to identify the center of origin of the tea species, and to infer its history of expansion. Throughout the review, we identify areas of debate, and highlight potential research gaps, which lay a foundation for future explorations of the topic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:26:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fb0f79891e5749aa8e02f81a4ee668d7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:26:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-fb0f79891e5749aa8e02f81a4ee668d72022-12-21T22:37:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2021-08-01810.3389/fnut.2021.706770706770From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and SpaceMoses C. Wambulwa0Moses C. Wambulwa1Muditha K. Meegahakumbura2Samson Kamunya3Francis N. Wachira4Department of Life Sciences, South Eastern Kenya University, Kitui, KenyaKey Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, ChinaGenetics and Plant Breeding Division, Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Lunuwila, Sri LankaKenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Tea Research Institute (KALRO-TRI), Kericho, KenyaDepartment of Life Sciences, South Eastern Kenya University, Kitui, KenyaTea is one of the world's most popular beverages, known for its cultural significance and numerous health benefits. A clear understanding of the origin and history of domestication of the tea species is a fundamental pre-requisite for effective germplasm conservation and improvement. Though there is a general consensus about the center of origin of the tea plant, the evolutionary origin and expansion history of the species remain shrouded in controversy, with studies often reporting conflicting findings. This mini review provides a concise summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the origin, domestication, and dissemination of the species around the world. We note that tea was domesticated around 3000 B.C. either from non-tea wild relatives (probably Camellia grandibracteata and/or C. leptophylla) or intra-specifically from the wild Camellia sinensis var. assamica trees, and that the genetic origins of the various tea varieties may need further inquiry. Moreover, we found that lineage divergence within the tea family was apparently largely driven by a combination of orogenic, climatic, and human-related forces, a fact that could have important implications for conservation of the contemporary tea germplasm. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness of an integrative approach involving linguistics, historical records, and genetics to identify the center of origin of the tea species, and to infer its history of expansion. Throughout the review, we identify areas of debate, and highlight potential research gaps, which lay a foundation for future explorations of the topic.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.706770/fullteaCamellia sinensisfootprints of teawild teaorigin of teatea domestication |
| spellingShingle | Moses C. Wambulwa Moses C. Wambulwa Muditha K. Meegahakumbura Samson Kamunya Francis N. Wachira From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space Frontiers in Nutrition tea Camellia sinensis footprints of tea wild tea origin of tea tea domestication |
| title | From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space |
| title_full | From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space |
| title_fullStr | From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space |
| title_full_unstemmed | From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space |
| title_short | From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space |
| title_sort | from the wild to the cup tracking footprints of the tea species in time and space |
| topic | tea Camellia sinensis footprints of tea wild tea origin of tea tea domestication |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.706770/full |
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