Flower vinegar prepared from Yunnan large-leaved tea tree prevents high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice by regulating gut microbiota

Wenshu Peng^1,2*Wei Yang¹Ma Li^1,2Qiaomei Wang³Ruijuan Yang⁴Aibin Jia^1,2Mingyue She¹Tao Wang¹Wanying Gong^1,2Liang Yan^2*

• ¹Puer Institute of Pu-Erh Tea, Pu’er, China
• ²College of Pu’er Tea, West Yunnan University of Applied Sciences, Pu’er, China
• ³College of Tea Science, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
• ⁴College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

The Yunnan large-leaved variety of Camellia sinensis var. assamica（J. W. Mast.）Kitam is an important tea variety in China, and its flowers have been approved as a novel food ingredient. Obesity and associated metabolic disorders pose significant global public health challenges. The gut microbiota, through symbiotic host-microbe interactions, critically regulates host fat deposition and has emerged as a focal point in understanding adipose accumulation in recent years. However, the regulatory effects of fermented tea flower products on the gut microbiota and their potential role in alleviating obesity remain unclear. In this study, the anti-obesity effects of vinegar fermented from Camellia sinensis var. assamica（J. W. Mast.）Kitam flowers (TTFV) were evaluated. The results showed that TTFV significantly attenuated high-fat diet–induced body weight gain, improved glucose and lipid metabolic profiles, alleviated hepatic injury and steatosis, and reduced inflammatory factor secretion and oxidative stress responses. In addition, TTFV modulated differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways. Metagenomic sequencing analysis revealed that TTFV markedly reshaped the gut microbiota composition. At the phylum level, TTFV increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio. At the family level, TTFV increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Oscillospiraceae and Eubacteriaceae, while decreasing the abundance of potentially harmful Erysipelotrichaceae. Metabolic pathway analysis indicated that TTFV exerted positive effects on maintaining cellular homeostasis, responding to physiological stress, and regulating metabolic disturbances by modulating key pathways. Collectively, these results demonstrate that TTFV supplementation exerts a protective effect against high-fat diet–induced obesity in mice, which is closely associated with gut microbiota remodeling. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show TTFV’s anti-obesity potential and gut microbiota-regulating effects, indicating it may serve as a potential functional ingredient in functional foods by promoting intestinal health via microbial balance modulation.