Anti-obesity and hypolipidemic effects of Jinhua Xiangyuan Tea infusion in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

Abstract

Jinhua Xiangyuan (JHXY) is a unique type of Chinese tea made from roasted oolong tea and subsequently fermented by Eurotiumcristatum. In this study, we investigated the potential benefits of JHXY on obese rats induced by a high-sucrose high-fat diet. JHXY infusion was administered orally at 1.6 g/kg·bw (HI), 0.8 g/kg·bw (MI), and 0.4 g/kg·bw (LI) per day for10 weeks. Weight gain was significantly suppressed without affecting appetite. In the MI and HI groups, JHXY led to a significant reduction in triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), accompanied by an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. A significant reduction in white adipose tissue (WAT) index and an increase in brown adipose tissue (BAT) index were observed. In MI group, the morphology of hepatocytes was restored. The abundance of Bifidobacterium was elevated, whereas the abundance of Desulfovibrio was significantly reduced. Correlation analysis revealed that the ratio of Ruminococcus to Bifidobacterium was positively correlated with HDL-C; the abundance of the Christensenellaceae_R7_group was negatively correlated with TC and LDL-C, while positively correlated with HDL-C; the abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with BAT/WAT ratio. In MI group, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway was predicted to be significantly weakened (p<0.05); in HI group, the sulfur relay system pathway was attenuated, whereas the bacterial toxins pathway was augmented (p<0.05). Our research showed that JHXY has the potential to enhance metabolic health and maintain intestinal homeostasis. Optimal dosage should be a focal point in future research.