Effects of Pu-erh and Dian Hong tea polyphenols on the gut-liver axis in mice

Abstract

Abstract The relationship among microbiota, intestine, and liver is an essential factor affecting the health of the host, and diet modifies the type of gut microbes. This experimental study evaluated the chemical constituents of polyphenols in Pu-erh (PTP) and Dian Hong tea (DHTP). It also examined the co-regulatory effects of PTP and DHTP on the intestinal flora and liver tissues in mice based on the sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes and transcriptome. The results showed that higher concentrations of EGC (epigallocatechin), C (catechin), EC (epicatechin) and EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) were observed in DHTP, and higher contents of GA (gallic acid), ECG (epicatechin-3-gallate), TF (theaflavin) and TB (theabrownin) were found in PTP. The intake of PTP and DHTP significantly reduced the rates of weight gain in mice. Microbial community diversity was significantly higher in mice treated with PTP and DHTP than the control group. Notable, the beneficial microbes, such as Lactobacillus was significantly increased in PTP-treated mice, while Lachnospiraceae was significantly increased in DHTP -treated mice. Both PTP and DHTP improved the activity of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in liver. The transcriptome analysis revealed that the positive effect of PTP and DHTP could be attributed to changes in different metabolic pathways, most related to antioxidant and lipid metabolism. This study revealed that PTP and DHTP played the benefical effects through the gut-liver axis in mice.