Aged Ripe Pu-erh Tea Reduced Oxidative Stress-Mediated Inflammation in Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis Mice by Regulating Intestinal Microbes

Ripened pu-erh tea has the biological activity of antioxidation and anti-inflammation, which inhibits the related parameters of colitis. However, the role of storage-induced changes in bioactive ingredients of ripened pu-erh tea in colitis remains unclear. In this study, 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis mice were treated with 10 mg/kg bw/day extracts, aged 14 years (P2006) and unaged (P2020) ripened pu-erh tea, respectively, for 1 week. We found that ripened pu-erh tea, especially P2006, inhibited the intestinal oxidative stress-mediated inflammation pathway (TLR4/MyD88/ROS/p38MAPK/NF-κB p65), upregulated the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (Mucin-2, ZO-1, occludin), promoted M2 polarization of macrophages, and in turn, improved the intestinal immune barrier, which stemmed from the reshaping of intestinal microbiota (e.g., increased Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Akkermansia levels). Our results speculate that drinking aged ripe pu-erh tea (10 mg/kg bw/day in mice, a human equivalent dose of 7 g/60 kg bw/day) has a practical effect on alleviating and preventing the development of intestinal inflammation.