The health benefits of green tea are largely attributed to the main ingredient catechin, of which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) accounts for 50%-70%. EGCG is a flavone-3-ol polyphenol compound with phenolic antioxidant properties. The six o-phenolic hydroxyl groups in the structure make it superior to other catechins in many properties. EGCG has a low bioavailability, digestion and absorption mainly occur in the small intestine, so EGCG can interact with intestinal microbes to affect the composition of bacteria and metabolites. The interactions between intestinal microbes and the host are one of the important ways for substances to exert physiological functions. At present, there are few relevant studies, which only focus on animal disease models such as obesity and colitis. In this study, SPF C57BL/6J healthy mice were selected for a 4-week EGCG supplement experiment. 16S rRNA sequencing, short-chain fatty acid determination, untargeted metabolite analysis, plasma biochemical analysis, and other analytical methods were chosen to explore the changes of intestinal flora and fecal metabolites in healthy mice after EGCG intake and filled the relevant research gaps. Fecal flora 16S rRNA sequencing results showed that EGCG could significantly change the structure and composition of intestinal flora in healthy mice, and increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium. Meanwhile, EGCG could inhibit the colonization of harmful bacteria such as Muribaculaceae and promote the health of intestinal flora. Akkermansia was the most obvious changing genus after EGCG intake among those beneficial bacteria. It is worth noting that previous studies have proved that EGCG can promote the increase of Akkermansia abundance in mice with obesity and colitis disease. This study demonstrated that EGCG also could promote the abundance of Akkermansia in healthy mice and combined with a recent in vitro experiment and provided evidence for targeted promotion of Akkermansia abundance. Targeted metabolite analysis, named short-chain fatty acid content determination, showed that EGCG intake increased the contents of acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid significantly, which was associated with the increased abundance of short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria. The results of untargeted metabolite analysis showed that thymidine, 2′-deoxyguanosine, guanine, 2′-deoxyadenosine, and other metabolites related to antiviral and anticancer drugs were increased compared with the control group. Based on the Spearman correlation analysis between differential bacteria and differential metabolites, we speculated that EGCG might promote the increase of 2′-deoxyguanosine, guanine, 2′-deoxyadenosine, and other substances by increasing the proliferation of Romboutsia, Faecalibacterium, and Anaerostipes. These contribute to play EGCG antiviral and anti-cancer physiological functions. Finally, we demonstrated that the physiological functions based on differential bacteria and metabolites, and also proved EGCG could improve the glucose metabolism level of mice significantly. This study provides a scientific basis for the mechanism of EGCG for health benefits and the development of dietary supplement products.
YUE Chenbo
,
LI Minyu
,
YU Leilei
,
TIAN Fengwei
,
WANG Jialin
,
ZHAI Qixiao
. Effects of EGCG on intestinal microflora and metabolomics in healthy mice[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2022
, 48(19)
: 70
-78
.
DOI: 10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.030631
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