Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Polyphenol-enriched oolong tea increases fecal lipid excretion

Abstract

Objective:

To assess possibility of polyphenol-enriched oolong tea to reduce dietary lipid absorption in humans.

Design:

Twelve healthy adult subjects, three males and nine females, aged (mean±s.d.) 22.0±1.8 years, respectively, were randomly divided into two groups. The participants were followed a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design, including 7-day washout periods and 10-day treatment periods. During the treatment periods, subjects were given about 38 g of lipids from potato chips (19 g each within 30 min after lunch and dinner) and total 750 ml beverages (placebo- or polyphenol-enriched oolong tea) at three meals. Blood samples were collected for biochemical examination at days 8, 18, 25 and 35 of the study period. On the last 3 days of each treatment period, feces were collected to measure the excretion of lipids.

Results:

Lipid excretion into feces was significantly higher in the polyphenol-enriched oolong tea period (19.3±12.9 g/3day) than in the placebo period (9.4±7.3 g/3day) (P<0.01). Cholesterol excretion tended to increase in polyphenol-enriched oolong tea period (1.8±1.2 g/3day) compared with that of placebo (1.2±0.6 g/3day) (P=0.056).

Conclusions:

The results of this study indicated that polyphenol-enriched oolong tea could increase lipid excretion into feces when subjects took high-lipid diet.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bell SJ, Goodrick GK (2002). A functional food product for the management of weight. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 42, 163–178.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carriere F, Renou C, Ransac S, Lopez V, De Caro J, Ferrato F et al. (2001). Inhibition of gastrointestinal lipolysis by Orlistat during digestion of test meals in healthy volunteers. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 281, G16–G28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan PT, Fong WP, Cheung YL, Huang Y, Ho WK, Chen ZY (1999). Jasmine green tea epicatechins are hypolipidemic in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) fed a high fat diet. J Nutr 129, 1094–1101.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deems RO, Friedman LS, Friedman MI, Munoz SJ, Deems DA, Maddrey WC (1994). Relationship between liver biochemical tests and dietary intake in patients with liver disease. J Clin Gastroenterol 18, 304–308.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Folch J, Lees M, Sloane Stanley GH (1957). A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues. J Biol Chem 226, 497–509.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gades MD, Stern JS (2002). Chitosan supplementation does not affect fat absorption in healthy males fed a high-fat diet, a pilot study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 26, 119–122.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gades MD, Stern JS (2003). Chitosan supplementation and fecal fat excretion in men. Obes Res 11, 683–688.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gades MD, Stern JS (2005). Chitosan supplementation and fat absorption in men and women. J Am Diet Assoc 105, 72–77.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guerciolini R (1997). Mode of action of Orlistat. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 21 (Suppl 3), S12–S23.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guerciolini R, Radu-Radulescu L, Boldrin M, Dallas J, Moore R (2001). Comparative evaluation of fecal fat excretion induced by Orlistat and Chitosan. Obes Res 9, 364–367.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Han LK, Kimura Y, Kawashima M, Takaku T, Taniyama T, Hayashi T et al. (2001). Anti-obesity effects in rodents of dietary teasaponin, a lipase inhibitor. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 25, 1459–1464.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Han LK, Takaku T, Li J, Kimura Y, Okuda H (1999). Anti-obesity action of oolong tea. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 23, 98–105.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hara Y, Moriguchi S, Kusumoto A, Nakai M, Ono Y, Abe K et al. (2004). Suppressive effect of oolong tea polymerized polyphenols-enriched oolong tea on postprandial serum triglyceride elevation. Jpn Pharmacol Ther 32, 335–342.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann D, Hussain Y, Guzelhan C, Odink J (1993). Effect on dietary fat absorption of Orlistat, administered at different times relative to meal intake. Br J Clin Pharmacol 36, 266–270.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hochuli E, Kupfer E, Maurer R, Meister W, Mercadal Y, Schmidt K (1987). Lipstatin, an inhibitor of pancreatic lipase, produced by Streptomyces toxytricini. II. Chemistry and structure elucidation. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 40, 1086–1091.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hosoda K, Wang MF, Liao ML, Chuang CK, Iha M, Clevidence B et al. (2003). Antihyperglycemic effect of oolong tea in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 26, 1714–1718.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huang TC, Chen CP, Wefler V, Raftery A (1961). A stable reagent for the Lieberman–Burchard reaction. Application to rapid serum cholesterol determination. Anal Chem 33, 1405–1507.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huggins KW, Camarota LM, Howles PN, Hui DY (2003). Pancreatic triglyceride lipase deficiency minimally affects dietary fat absorption but dramatically decreases dietary cholesterol absorption in mice. J Biol Chem 278, 42899–42905.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hussain Y, Guzelhan C, Odink J, van der Beek EJ, Hartmann D (1994). Comparison of the inhibition of dietary fat absorption by full versus divided doses of Orlistat. J Clin Pharmacol 34, 1121–1125.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda I, Imasato Y, Sasaki E, Nakayama M, Nagao H, Takeo T et al. (1992). Tea catechins decrease micellar solubility and intestinal absorption of cholesterol in rats. Biochim Biophys Acta 1127, 141–146.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kao YH, Hiipakka RA, Liao S (2000). Modulation of obesity by a green tea catechin. Am J Clin Nutr 72, 1232–1234.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Komatsu T, Nakamori M, Komatsu K, Hosoda K, Okamura M, Toyama K et al. (2003). Oolong tea increases energy metabolism in Japanese females. J Med Invest 50, 170–175.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kurihara H, Fukami H, Koda H, Tsuruoka N, Sugiura N, Shibata H et al. (2002). Effects of oolong tea on metabolism of plasma fat in mice under restraint stress. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 66, 1955–1958.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda Y, Hara Y (1999). Antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activity of tea polyphenols. Mutat Res 436, 69–97.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matsumoto N, Okushio K, Hara Y (1998). Effect of black tea polyphenols on plasma lipids in cholesterol-fed rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 44, 337–342.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDowell CM, Ross MH (1966). Dietary fat, age and hepatic alkaline phosphatase activity in the rat. Growth 30, 177–185.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muramatsu K, Fukuyo M, Hara Y (1986). Effect of green tea catechins on plasma cholesterol level in cholesterol-fed rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 32, 613–622.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murase T, Nagasawa A, Suzuki J, Hase T, Tokimitsu I (2002). Beneficial effects of tea catechins on diet-induced obesity: stimulation of lipid catabolism in the liver. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 26, 1459–1464.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakai M, Fukui Y, Asami S, Toyoda-Ono Y (2005a). Effect of oolong tea polypheerized polyphenols on mechanism of serum triglyceride elevetion suppressive. JJpn Soc StudyObes 11, 88–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakai M, Fukui Y, Asami S, Toyoda-Ono Y, Iwashita T, Shibata H et al. (2005b). Inhibitory effects of oolong tea polyphenols on pancreatic lipase in vitro. J Agric Food Chem 53, 4593–4598.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raederstorff DG, Schlachter MF, Elste V, Weber P (2003). Effect of EGCG on lipid absorption and plasma lipid levels in rats. J Nutr Biochem 14, 326–332.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Recommended Dietary Allowance for the Taiwanese (2001) Department of Healthy, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.

  • Rumpler W, Seale J, Clevidence B, Judd J, Wiley E, Yamamoto S et al. (2001). Oolong tea increases metabolic rate and fat oxidation in men. J Nutr 131, 2848–2852.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Samman S, Sandstrom B, Toft MB, Bukhave K, Jensen M, Sorensen SS et al. (2001). Green tea or rosemary extract added to foods reduces nonheme–iron absorption. Am J Clin Nutr 73, 607–612.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sasaki H, Matsumoto M, Tanaka T, Maeda M, Nakai M, Hamada S et al. (2004). Antibacterial activity of polyphenol components in oolong tea extract against Streptococcus mutans. Caries Res 38, 2–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui IA, Afaq F, Adhami VM, Ahmad N, Mukhtar H (2004). Antioxidants of the beverage tea in promotion of human health. Antioxid Redox Signal 6, 571–582.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisburger JH (2002). Lifestyle, health and disease prevention: the underlying mechanisms. Eur J Cancer Prev 11 (Suppl 2), S1–S7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yang M, Wang C, Chen H (2001). Green, oolong and black tea extracts modulate lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemia rats fed high-sucrose diet. J Nutr Biochem 12, 14–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yang TT, Koo MW (1997). Hypocholesterolemic effects of Chinese tea. Pharmacol Res 35, 505–512.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yang TT, Koo MW (2000). Chinese green tea lowers cholesterol level through an increase in fecal lipid excretion. Life Sci 66, 411–423.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Young GP, Friedman S, Yedlin ST, Allers DH (1981). Effect of fat feeding on intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity in tissue and serum. Am J Physiol 241, G461–G468.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhi J, Melia AT, Guerciolini R, Chung J, Kinberg J, Hauptman JB et al. (1994). Retrospective population-based analysis of the dose–response (fecal fat excretion) relationship of Orlistat in normal and obese volunteers. Clin Pharmacol Ther 56, 82–85.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zijp IM, Korver O, Tijburg LB (2000). Effect of tea and other dietary factors on iron absorption. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 40, 371–398.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to the students at Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan. Financial support for the study was obtained from Suntory Ltd, Osaka, Japan. My special thanks are owing to Afework Kassu for valuable comments and criticisms.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K Abe.

Additional information

Guarantors: K Abe and S Yamamoto.

Contributors: T-FH and AK contributed to the protocol, experiment, data analysis and manuscript writing. KA and YK contributed to the protocol, preparation beverage and manuscript writing. KH contributed to the protocol, arrangement of the subjects. M-FW contributed to the protocol, management of the subjects. SY contributed to the protocol, management of the subjects, data analysis and manuscript writing.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hsu, TF., Kusumoto, A., Abe, K. et al. Polyphenol-enriched oolong tea increases fecal lipid excretion. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 1330–1336 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602464

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602464

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links