Ripened Pu-erh tea extract protects mice from obesity by modulating gut microbiota composition. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Ripened Pu-erh tea extract contributes to reducing weight gain and fat accumulation; however, it remains unclear about the role of gut microbiota on the anti-obesity effect of ripened Pu-erh tea extract in obese mice. This study aimed to explore the role of alterations in the gut microbes mediated by the ripened Pu-erh tea extract in obese mice through 16S rRNA sequencing and a fecal transplant trial. Our results suggested that, drinking water contained ripened Pu-erh tea extract could decrease weight gain, fat accumulation, adipose inflammation, Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and metabolic endotoxemia, in the meantime of improving the intestinal barrier integrity in obese mice. Moreover, the fecal transplant trial indicated that feces from the donor mice treated with ripened Pu-erh tea extract could significantly modulate weight and metabolic syndrome in the recipient mice. Thus, our results indicated that, gut microbiota can mediate the function of ripened Pu-erh tea extract against obesity; besides, ripened Pu-erh tea extract can potentially prevent individuals from being obese through rebalancing the gut microbiota.