Aspergillus species and gut microbiota-mediated biotransformation of epigallocatechin gallate: From dark tea fermentation to intestinal metabolism.
5 affiliations
- 1Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.
- 2College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
- 3National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.
- 4Yuelushan Laboratory & National Key Laboratory for Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Changsha, 410128, China.
- 5Key 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.
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.
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BibTeX
@article{an2026aspergillus,
title = {{Aspergillus species and gut microbiota-mediated biotransformation of epigallocatechin gallate: From dark tea fermentation to intestinal metabolism.}},
author = {Zexin An and Rongrong Ma and Xiangxiang Huang and Yuhang Zhang and Jianan Huang and Zhonghua Liu and Kunbo Wang and Mingzhi Zhu},
journal = {Current research in food science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.crfs.2026.101587},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42959327},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Aspergillus species and gut microbiota-mediated biotransformation of epigallocatechin gallate: From dark tea fermentation to intestinal metabolism.
AU - Zexin An
AU - Rongrong Ma
AU - Xiangxiang Huang
AU - Yuhang Zhang
AU - Jianan Huang
AU - Zhonghua Liu
AU - Kunbo Wang
AU - Mingzhi Zhu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Current research in food science
DO - 10.1016/j.crfs.2026.101587
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42959327
AB - 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.
SN - 2665-9271
ER -