A comprehensive review of polyphenol oxidase in tea (Camellia sinensis): Physiological characteristics, oxidation manufacturing, and biosynthesis of functional constituents

Abstract Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a metalloenzyme with a type III copper core that is abundant in nature. As one of the most essential enzymes in the tea plant ( Camellia sinensis ), the further regulation of PPO is critical for enhancing defensive responses, cultivating high‐quality germplasm resources of tea plants, and producing tea products that are both functional and sensory qualities. Due to their physiological and pharmacological values, the constituents from the oxidative polymerization of PPO in tea manufacturing may serve as functional foods to prevent and treat chronic non‐communicable diseases. However, current knowledge of the utilization of PPO in the tea industry is only available from scattered sources, and a more comprehensive study is required to reveal the relationship between PPO and tea obviously. A more comprehensive review of the role of PPO in tea was reported for the first time, as its classification, catalytic mechanism, and utilization in modulating tea flavors, compositions, and nutrition, along with the relationships between PPO‐mediated enzymatic reactions and the formation of functional constituents in tea, and the techniques for the modification and application of PPO based on modern enzymology and synthetic biology are summarized and suggested in this article.