Theabrownins from dark tea: formation, gut microbiota-mediated biotransformation, health benefits, and potential in functional food applications

作者：Chunyan Zhang, Mingxi Li, Liya Li, Chunpeng Wan, Yaodong Xia, Hang Ma, Jialin Xu · 发表于：Food & Function · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1039/d5fo02046h · 被引用次数：11 · 研究领域：Tea Polyphenols and Effects、Microbial Metabolism and Applications、Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities

Theabrownins (TBs) are the major polyphenol-derived pigments and key bioactive components in dark tea formed through microbial fermentation or enzymatic oxidation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the formation pathways, structural complexity, and diverse biological functions of TBs, highlighting recent advances in their production and application. Emerging evidence indicates that TBs exert significant health-promoting effects, including anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-photodamage, and gut microbiota-modulating activities. These effects are mediated through multiple molecular mechanisms involving the regulation of bile acid metabolism, intestinal microbial composition, circadian rhythm genes, and signaling pathways such as AMPK/PGC1α, PI3K/Akt, FoxO/PPAR, FXR/FGF15, NRF2, and NF-κB. Additionally, TBs influence apoptosis, autophagy, and epigenetic modifications, thereby further contributing to their therapeutic potential. Despite promising bioactivities, challenges remain in elucidating TBs' precise molecular structures, optimizing large-scale production, and translating findings from cell and animal studies into human clinical trials. Addressing these limitations is critical for advancing TBs from functional components to evidence-based nutraceutical ingredients. Overall, this review summarizes current knowledge on TBs' bioactivities and underlying mechanisms. It also provides insights for future research and indu...