## 3 Conclusions  
The findings presented in this study offer a comprehensive understanding of the role of microencapsulation in preserving aroma in jasmine instant tea. Through rigorous analysis, including PCA, OPLS-DA, permutation tests, and VIP scores, it is evident that the selection of encapsulating agents is crucial in maintaining the sensory qualities of jasmine instant tea. Notably, gelatin emerged as the most effective encapsulating agent, closely  
Figure 5: A heatmap of volatile compound expression levels in the microencapsulated tea samples. The heatmap displays the relative abundance of various volatile compounds across different microencapsulation samples and fresh tea. Color intensity reflects the expression levels, with higher concentrations shown in warmer colors and lower concentrations in cooler colors.  
matching the volatile profile of fresh tea. This is particularly evident in the clustering patterns observed in the OPLS-DA plots, where gelatin-treated samples align more closely with fresh tea, indicating superior aroma preservation compared to other agents like acacia, CMC, and maltodextrin.  
These results have important implications for the production of jasmine instant tea, suggesting that gelatin-based microencapsulation could bridge the gap between the convenience of instant tea and the sensory richness of traditionally brewed tea. For the tea industry, this could provide a significant competitive advantage in a market where sensory quality is a key determinant of consumer preference. Future research should focus on understanding the molecular interactions between gelatin and volatile organic compounds that result in this enhanced retention. Moreover, assessing the economic and environmental impacts of different encapsulating agents will be critical in ensuring that the selected methods are not only effective but also sustainable and cost-efficient. By building on these insights, the tea industry has the potential to develop products that are both high in sensory quality and aligned with sustainability and consumer health principles.  
This research marks a significant advancement in addressing the challenge of aroma preservation in instant tea through advanced microencapsulation techniques. The optimization of encapsulation parameters has led to a notable improvement in the retention of volatile organic compounds, thereby enhancing the sensory profile of the final product. The use of novel homogenization techniques and comprehensive characterization of microcapsules using SEM and GC-MS has provided a deep understanding of the encapsulation process and its impact on instant tea quality. This study clearly demonstrates that microencapsulation can significantly reduce flavor loss during processing, offering a promising pathway for developing high-quality instant tea products. The scalability and applicability of the microencapsulation method developed here hold great potential for industrial adoption and could be extended to other food products where aroma is a critical quality attribute. Future work will concentrate on the long-term stability of encapsulated aromas under various storage conditions to further enhance the shelf life of instant tea. Additionally, sensory evaluations with larger consumer panels will provide deeper insights into consumer preferences and acceptance, further guiding product development.