Relationship Between Depression and Epigallocatechin Gallate from the Perspective of Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review

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#catechin #gastrointestinal-microbiome #humans #depression #tea

Relationship Between Depression and Epigallocatechin Gallate from the Perspective of Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review

Zhang et al., 2025 | Nutrients | Systematic Review

Citation

Zhang Yangbo, Liu Changwei, ... Zeng Li. Relationship Between Depression and Epigallocatechin Gallate from the Perspective of Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2025-Jan-12;17(2). doi:10.3390/nu17020259

Abstract

Depression, a serious mental illness, is characterized by high risk, high incidence, persistence, and tendency to relapse, posing a significant burden on global health. The connection between depression and gut microbiota is an emerging field of study in psychiatry and neuroscience. Understanding the gut-brain axis is pivotal for understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of depression. Gut microbes influence depression-like behaviors by impacting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), monoamine neurotransmitters, immune responses, cell signaling, and metabolic pathways. Tea, widely used in clinical practice to improve neuropsychiatric disorders, contains Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major ingredient of green tea, which effectively regulates intestinal flora. This review examined the risks and causes of depression, the complications associated with intestinal flora, their role in the development and treatment of depression, and how EGCG may alleviate depression through interactions with gut microbiota and other mechanisms.

Key Findings

This review examined the risks and causes of depression, the complications associated with intestinal flora, their role in the development and treatment of depression, and how EGCG may alleviate depression through interactions with gut microbiota and other mechanisms.

Outcomes Measured

  • depression

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition depression

MeSH Terms

  • Catechin
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome
  • Humans
  • Depression
  • Tea
  • Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System
  • Animals
  • Pituitary-Adrenal System

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: green-tea

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09