Modulation of Gut Microbial Biomarkers and Metabolites in Cancer Management by Tea Compounds.

Cancers are causing millions of deaths and leaving a huge clinical and economic burden. High costs of cancer drugs are limiting their access to the growing number of cancer cases. The development of more affordable alternative therapy could reach more patients. As gut microbiota plays a significant role in the development and treatment of cancer, microbiome-targeted therapy has gained more attention in recent years. Dietary and natural compounds can modulate gut microbiota composition while providing broader and more accessible access to medicine. Tea compounds have been shown to have anti-cancer properties as well as modulate the gut microbiota and their related metabolites. However, there is no comprehensive review that focuses on the gut modulatory effects of tea compounds and their impact on reshaping the metabolic profiles, particularly in cancer models. In this review, the effects of different tea compounds on gut microbiota in cancer settings are discussed. Furthermore, the relationship between these modulated bacteria and their related metabolites, along with the mechanisms of how these changes led to cancer intervention are summarized.

Tea Compounds and the Gut Microbiome: Findings from Trials and Mechanistic Studies.

In recent years, the gut microbiome has become a focal point of interest with growing recognition that a well-balanced gut microbiota composition is highly relevant to an individual's health status and well-being. Its profile can be modulated by a number of dietary factors, although few publications have focused on the effects of what we drink. The present review performed a systematic review of trials and mechanistic studies examining the effects of tea consumption, its associated compounds and their effects on the gut microbiome. Registered articles were searched up to 10th September 2019, in the PubMed and Cochrane library databases along with references of original articles. Human trials were graded using the Jadad scale to assess quality. Altogether 24 publications were included in the main review-six were human trials and 18 mechanistic studies. Of these, the largest body of evidence related to green tea with up to 1000 mL daily (4-5 cups) reported to increase proportions of Bifidobacterium. Mechanistic studies also show promise suggesting that black, oolong, Pu-erh and Fuzhuan teas (microbially fermented 'dark tea') can modulate microbial diversity and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. These findings appear to support the hypothesis that tea ingestion could favourably regulate the profile of the gut microbiome and help to offset dysbiosis triggered by obesity or high-fat diets. Further well-designed human trials are now required to build on provisional findings.