Tea and Its Bioactive Components in Metabolic Health: From Mechanisms to Applications

Tea, as a globally consumed beverage, is a rich source of bioactive compounds, such as catechins, theaflavins, L-theanine, and caffeine. Despite the widespread consumption of tea, our understanding of their full potential and the mechanisms by which they influence metabolic processes remain incomplete. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the molecular pathways and clinical impacts of individual constituents like catechins, theaflavins, and L-theanine, illuminating both direct metabolic effects and interactions with the gut microbiota. However, a comprehensive framework that contextualizes tea’s bioactives within the broader spectrum of plant-derived interventions is still lacking.This Research Topic aims to assemble pioneering research on the roles of tea—in shaping metabolic health, spanning from basic mechanistic insights to applied translational outcomes. Key objectives include identifying molecular targets and signaling cascades modulated by tea components, evaluating their efficacy through robust clinical and translational research, and exploring innovative applications in functional foods and nutraceutical development. Comparative studies of tea and other plant extracts, or investigations inspired by the mechanistic insights from tea research, are also highly encouraged.This Research Topic will provide a platform to highlight tea as a paradigm for plant-based metabolic health research. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Mechanistic Insights: Elucidation of the molecular targets and signaling pathways (e.g., AMPK, NLRP3, gut microbiota-axis) modulated by tea bioactives.• Clinical and Translational Research: Robust human trials and meta-analyses evaluating the efficacy of tea consumption and/or tea-derived supplements on metabolic parameters and disease endpoints.• Innovations in Application: Development of novel functional foods, nutraceuticals, or delivery systems utilizing tea components, with a focus on enhancing bioavailability and efficacy.• Cross-Species Comparison: Research that compares the metabolic benefits, bioavailability, or mechanisms of action between tea and other plants rich in polyphenols or alkaloids.• Omics and Systems Biology: Application of multi-omics approaches (metabolomics, microbiomics) to uncover the systemic responses to tea interventions and identify biomarker signatures. Topic editors: Ling Lin, Jasmina Vitas Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76230/tea-and-its-bioactive-components-in-metabolic-health-from-mechanisms-to-applications