ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1675535
Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of EGCG in Preventing Obesity-induced Precocious Puberty Based on Serum Metabolomics and Molecular Docking
Provisionally accepted
Shiyu GaoLina Xia
Chenzhenghao Jiang
Bang ShaoYing ShaoXiaojing LiPeiying WuJieyi He
Qiuju Du
Lingwei Liang*
Qiuyun Gu*- Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China
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Objective: Obesity-induced precocious puberty presents serious health risks to adolescents. Building on our previous finding that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) exhibits a preventive effect on obesity-induced precocious puberty, the present study aims to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: control, normal diet + EGCG, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD + EGCG. Body weight, vaginal opening time, and serum samples were analyzed to assess the effects of EGCG on obesity-induced precocious puberty, using serum metabolomics and molecular docking. Results: EGCG treatment significantly altered the serum metabolite profile, particularly affecting lipid metabolism. Glycerophospholipid metabolism emerged as the key pathway modulated by EGCG. Molecular docking identified phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, phospholipase D, and phosphatidylserine synthase as potential targets. Conclusion: EGCG prevents obesity-induced precocious puberty, an effect associated with the reshaping of lipid metabolism, with key enzymes in glycerophospholipid metabolism serving as potential therapeutic targets. These findings provide a foundational hypothesis for further mechanistic investigation
Keywords: epigallocatechin gallate, obesity-induced precocious puberty, differentialmetabolites, serum metabolomics, molecular docking
Received: 29 Jul 2025; Accepted: 07 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Xia, Jiang, Shao, Shao, Li, Wu, He, Du, Liang and Gu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Lingwei Liang, lianglwok@163.com
Qiuyun Gu, guqy3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn
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