sweet tea extract

Sweet tea extract (STE) is a natural product derived from *Lithocarpus litseifolius* [Hance] Chun, a plant known as sweet tea and recognized as a new resource for food raw materials with various health benefits. This extract has demonstrated a preventive effect against ulcerative colitis (UC) by modulating the gut microbiota, specifically by increasing beneficial bacteria such as *Bacteroidetes*, *Lactobacillus*, *Akkermansia*, *Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group*, and *Alistipes*, while inhibiting detrimental ones like *Firmicutes*, *Proteobacteria*, and *Helicobacter*. This modulation leads to a significant increase in butyric acid content, which in turn activates G-protein-coupled receptors (GPR43 and GPR109A) to mediate anti-inflammatory signaling. Concurrently, STE inhibits inflammatory signaling pathways by suppressing the expression of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65).

Other names

STE