{
  "abstract": "Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant and bioactive compound in tea, but its microbial biotransformation and mechanisms in vitro and in vivo remain unclear. Here, we investigated metabolisms of EGCG and dark tea by Aspergillus cristatus and A. niger, alongside EGCG biotransformation in rat intestines and in vitro gut microbiota. Epigallocatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin 3,3'-digallate, epigallocatechin, oolongtheanin, and theasinensin B were among the EGCG-associated metabolites detected during fermentation by both fungi, whereas samarangenin A was detected as an early-stage EGCG-associated metabolite in A. cristatus fermentation. 3-Hydroxyflavone is a major late-stage EGCG-associated metabolite in A. cristatus, while A. niger produces a more complex array of metabolites. In liquid culture, A. cristatus showed faster EGCG disappearance than A. niger, whereas A. niger showed faster EGCG depletion in dark tea, indicating a substrate-dependent difference between the two fungi. The key intestinal transit window for EGCG in rats is 6-12 h post-administration. In vitro, gut microbiota converted EGCG to monomeric catechins, while several sulfated catechin-related features were also detected. 16S rDNA sequencing revealed temporal changes in the relative abundances of dominant genera, including Ligilactobacillus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Escherichia-Shigella. This study lays the groundwork for optimizing dark tea fermentation and EGCG functional product development.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.",
    "College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.",
    "National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.",
    "Yuelushan Laboratory & National Key Laboratory for Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Changsha, 410128, China.",
    "Key Laboratory for Evaluation and Utilization of Gene Resources of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zexin An"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rongrong Ma"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiangxiang Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yuhang Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jianan Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhonghua Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Kunbo Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3,
        2,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Mingzhi Zhu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75cvcx0bedts2.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.crfs.2026.101587",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13717108",
  "id": "75cvcx0bedts2",
  "issns": [
    "2665-9271"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42959327",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2734|Tea Polyphenols and Effects"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221003871",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13717108?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13717108",
  "pmid": "42959327",
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75cvcx0bedts2.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:46Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42959327",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42959327"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:21:29Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13717108",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crfs.2026.101587"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2734|Tea Polyphenols and Effects",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Aspergillus species and gut microbiota-mediated biotransformation of epigallocatechin gallate: From dark tea fermentation to intestinal metabolism.",
  "title_text": "Aspergillus species and gut microbiota-mediated biotransformation of epigallocatechin gallate: From dark tea fermentation to intestinal metabolism.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-02T12:21:29Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75cvcx0bedts2",
  "venue": "Current research in food science",
  "versions": []
}