Tea consumption has been identified to have an anti-obesity effect. Whether it is associated with gut microbiota modulation is investigated in this study. Phenolic profiles of infusions of green tea, oolong tea and black tea were comprehensively compared first, by utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOFMS). Subsequently, high-fat-diet induced obese C57BL/6J mice were orally administered these three types of tea infusions for 13 weeks to evaluate their anti-obesity and gut microbiota modulatory effects. In general, 8 phenolic acids, 12 flavanols, 9 flavonols, 2 alkaloids and 1 amino acid were identified from the three types of tea infusions. Though they possess diverse phenolic compounds, no significant differences in the prevention of the development of obesity in high-fat-fed mice were discovered among the three types of tea. Based on high-throughput MiSeq sequencing and multivariate statistical analysis, it was revealed that tea infusion consumption substantially increased diversity and altered the structure of gut microbiota. The linear discriminant analysis effect size algorithm identified 30 key phylotypes in response to high-fat diet and tea, including Alistipes, Rikenella, Lachnospiraceae, Akkermansia, Bacteroides, Allobaculum, Parabacteroides, etc. Moreover, Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that these key phylotypes might have a close association with the obesity related indexes of the host. This study provides detailed information regarding the impact of tea consumption on gut microbiota, which may be helpful in understanding the anti-obesity mechanisms of tea.

Background There is a lack of nationwide epidemiologic survey data on the prevalence estimate of erectile dysfunction (ED) in Chinese men living on the mainland China. Aim To attain the representative prevalence estimate of ED in the Chinese male population and to analyze potential risk factors associated with ED by demographics, socioeconomic status, and medical comorbidities. Methods The study was community based. The five-item Internation Index of Erectile Function questionnaire and in-person interview were used to obtain data. The survey subjects were 5,210 non-institutionalized Chinese men at least 40 years old residing in 30 provinces and autonomies of China. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to disclose risk factors associated with ED. Outcomes The prevalence estimate of ED was 40.56% in Chinese men at least 40 years old. Results The prevalence of ED increased with increasing age. A significant high prevalence of ED was observed in men who smoked heavily, were estranged from a partner, had diabetes, and lower urinary tract symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia. Smoking more than 30 cigarettes daily and obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2) significantly increased the risk for ED by multivariable-adjusted odds ratios. Stable or erratic sexual partners, personal incomes, alcohol consumption, and cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular diseases were not risk factors associated with ED prevalence. Other sexual problems commonly seen in this group of men included difficulty achieving erectile rigidness, ejaculation, and climax during intercourse. Clinical Translation Knowledge on the prevalence of ED and its associated risk factors will help physicians in the clinical management and prevention of ED with the use of counseling for lifestyle adjustment and drug therapy. Strengths and Limitations Data on the influence of psychological conditions on ED were not collected. ED was not categorized as minor, moderate, or severe for analysis during processing of data. Conclusion The national representative prevalence of ED was determined for the first time in the Chinese male population.

Monomeric green tea catechin (GTC) and oligomeric, oxidized black tea phenolic (BTP) have shown promising health benefits, although GTC has been more extensively studied than BTP. We review the current knowledge on bioavailability, colonic transformation, and gut microbiota modulatory effects of GTC and BTP. As a result of their similar poor bioavailability in the small intestine and potentially similar metabolites upon colonic fermentation, it seems as if GTC and BTP have similar health effects, although it cannot be excluded that they have different gut microbiota modulatory effects and that BTP gives a poorer yield of bioactive phenolic metabolites upon colonic fermentation than GTC.