SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Eurasian Journal of Food Science and Technology / 2026 / Volume: 10 Issue: 1

Camellia Sinensis L. as a Natural Source of Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitor in the Treatment of Obesity

Tuba Serbetcı
Başak Ceylan
Belkıs Sarı
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-06-30
DOI
—
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This review discusses the role, therapeutic potential, and clinical evidence regarding Camellia sinensis L., as a natural source of pancreatic lipase inhibitor in the treatment of obesity will be discussed in the light of clinical data.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Obesity, one of the most common health problems of the 21st century, is defined as a person's body mass index being greater than or equal to 30 kg/m² or greater, and it is rapidly increasing on a global scale and causes complications such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic kidney disease.
📊
Key Findings & Data:It is also associated with many other diseases including depression and some types of cancer.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:This review discusses the role, therapeutic potential, and clinical evidence regarding Camellia sinensis L., as a natural source of pancreatic lipase inhibitor in the treatment of obesity will be discussed in the light of clinical data.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Camellia Sinensis · Obesity · Lipase

Abstract

Obesity, one of the most common health problems of the 21st century, is defined as a person's body mass index being greater than or equal to 30 kg/m² or greater, and it is rapidly increasing on a global scale and causes complications such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic kidney disease. It is also associated with many other diseases including depression and some types of cancer. Lipase inhibitors, which target lipases, one of the body fat metabolism enzymes, are used in the treatment of chronic obesity, however, according to the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) long-term use of these drugs is reported to cause serious side effects. Secondary metabolites and plant extracts isolated from numerous plant species with medicinal uses as natural origin pancreatic lipase inhibitors in the treatment of obesity are recorded in the literature. They limit the absorption of fats into the body by inhibiting pancreatic lipase, and in this way, they complement conventional anti-obesity drugs. This review discusses the role, therapeutic potential, and clinical evidence regarding Camellia sinensis L., as a natural source of pancreatic lipase inhibitor in the treatment of obesity will be discussed in the light of clinical data.

🔖

Cite This Article

Serbetcı, T., Ceylan, B., Sarı, B. (2026). Camellia Sinensis L. as a Natural Source of Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitor in the Treatment of Obesity. Eurasian Journal of Food Science and Technology, Volume: 10 Issue: 1. https://ajindex.com/articles/1482132

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (66)

  1. Benzie I. F. & Szeto Y. 1999. Total antioxidant capacity of teas by the ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 47(2), 633-636.
  2. Birari R. B. & Bhutani K. K. 2007. Pancreatic lipase inhibitors from natural sources: unexplored potential. Drug Discovery Today, 12(19-20), 879-889.
  3. Bowman K., Thambisetty M., Kuchel G. A., Ferrucci L. & Melzer D. 2019. Obesity and longer term risks of dementia in 65–74 year olds. Age and Ageing, 48(3), 367-373.
  4. Bruno R. S., Dugan C. E., Smyth J. A., DiNatale D. A. & Koo S. I. 2008. Green tea extract protects leptin-deficient, spontaneously obese mice from hepatic steatosis and injury1. The Journal of Nutrition, 138(2), 323-331.
  5. Cao W., Wang K., Liang C., Su Y., Liu S., Li J., Qing H., Zeng Z., Dai L. & Song J. 2022. Dietary tea seed saponin combined with aerobic exercise attenuated lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Journal of Food Biochemistry, e14461.
  6. Chantre P. & Lairon D. 2002. Recent findings of green tea extract AR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity. Phytomedicine, 9(1), 3-8.
  7. Chen T.-Y., Wang M. M., Hsieh S.-K., Hsieh M.-H., Chen W. Y. & Tzen J. T. 2018. Pancreatic lipase inhibition of strictinin isolated from Pu’er tea (Camellia sinensis) and its anti-obesity effects in C57BL6 mice. Journal of Functional Foods, 48, 1-8.
  8. Chen Y., Gao Y., Li Y. & Yin J. 2024. Anti-Biofilm Activity of Assamsaponin A, Theasaponin E1, and Theasaponin E2 against Candida albicans. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25, 3599.
  9. De La Garza A., Milagro F., Boqué N., Campión J., Martínez J. & Martínez P. 2011. Natural Inhibitors of Pancreatic Lipase as New Players in Obesity Treatment. Planta Medica, 77, 773-785.
  10. Dulloo A. G., Duret C., Rohrer D., Girardier L., Mensi N., Fathi M., Chantre P. & Vandermander J. 1999. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(6), 1040-1045.
  11. Erden E. E., Yazıcı Z. G., Kılıç C., Aydın S. & Kılıç F. S. 2022. Obezite Tedavisinde Farmakolojik Yaklaşımlar. Osmangazi Tıp Dergisi.
  12. Fan L., He Y., Xu Y., Li P., Zhang J. & Zhao J. 2021. Triterpenoid saponins in tea (Camellia sinensis) plants: biosynthetic gene expression, content variations, chemical identification and cytotoxicity. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 72(3), 308-323.
  13. Fang X., Dong Y., Xie Y., Wang L., Wang J., Liu Y., Zhao L. & Cao F. 2019. Effects of β-glucosidase and α-rhamnosidase on the contents of flavonoids, ginkgolides, and aroma components in ginkgo tea drink. Molecules, 24(10), 2009.
  14. Fujiki H., Suganuma M., Okabe S., Sueoka N., Komori A., Sueoka E., Kozu T., Tada Y., Suga K. & Imai K. 1998. Cancer inhibition by green tea. Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis, 402(1-2), 307-310.
  15. Gong J.-s., Tang C. & Peng C.-x. 2012. Characterization of the chemical differences between solvent extracts from Pu-erh tea and Dian Hong black tea by CP–Py–GC/MS. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 95, 189-197.
  16. Grove K. A., & Lambert J. D. 2010. Laboratory, epidemiological, and human intervention studies show that tea (Camellia sinensis) may be useful in the prevention of obesity. The Journal of nutrition, 140(3), 446-453.
  17. Grove K. A., Sae‐Tan S., Kennett M. J. & Lambert J. D. 2012. (−)− Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate inhibits pancreatic lipase and reduces body weight gain in high fat‐fed obese mice. Obesity, 20(11), 2311-2313.
  18. Han L., Kimura Y., Kawashima M., Takaku T., Taniyama T., Hayashi T., Zheng Y. & Okuda H. 2001. Anti-obesity effects in rodents of dietary teasaponin, a lipase inhibitor. International Journal of Obesity, 25(10), 1459-1464.
  19. Hashimoto F., Kashiwada Y., Nonaka G.-i., Nishioka I., Nohara T., Cosentino L. M. & Lee K.-H. 1996. Evaluation of tea polyphenols as anti-HIV agents. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 6(6), 695-700.
  20. Haslam E. 2003. Thoughts on thearubigins. Phytochemistry, 64(1), 61-73.
  21. He R.-r., Chen L., Lin B.-h., Matsui Y., Yao X.-s. & Kurihara H. 2009. Beneficial effects of oolong tea consumption on diet-induced overweight and obese subjects. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 15, 34-41.
  22. He X., Chen L., Pu Y., Wang H., Cao J. & Jiang W. 2023. Fruit and vegetable polyphenols as natural bioactive inhibitors of pancreatic lipase and cholesterol esterase: Inhibition mechanisms, polyphenol influences, application challenges. Food Bioscience, 55, 103054.
  23. Ikeda I., Kobayashi M., Hamada T., Tsuda K., Goto H., Imaizumi K., Nozawa A., Sugimoto A. & Kakuda T. 2003. Heat-epimerized tea catechins rich in gallocatechin gallate and catechin gallate are more effective to inhibit cholesterol absorption than tea catechins rich in epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51(25), 7303-7307.
  24. Ikeda I., Tsuda K., Suzuki Y., Kobayashi M., Unno T., Tomoyori H., Goto H., Kawata Y., Imaizumi K. & Nozawa A. 2005. Tea catechins with a galloyl moiety suppress postprandial hypertriacylglycerolemia by delaying lymphatic transport of dietary fat in rats. The Journal of Nutrition, 135(2), 155-159.
  25. Juhel C., Armand M., Pafumi Y., Rosier C., Vandermander J. & Lairon D. 2000. Green tea extract (AR25®) inhibits lipolysis of triglycerides in gastric and duodenal medium in vitro. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 11(1), 45-51.
  26. Joshi R., Sood S., Dogra P., Mahendru M., Kumar D., Bhangalia S., Pal H., Kumar N., Bhushan S., Gulati A., Saxena A. & Gulati A. 2013. In vitro cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, and metal-chelating activity of triterpene saponins from tea seed grown in Kangra Valley, India. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 22, 4030-4038.
  27. Khan M., Ahhmed A., Shin J., Baek J., Kim M. & Kim J. 2018. Green Tea Seed Isolated Saponins Exerts Antibacterial Effects against Various Strains of Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria, a Comprehensive Study In Vitro and In Vivo. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, 3486106.
  28. Khan M., Karima G., Khan M., Shin J. & Kim J. 2022. Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23, 10665.
  29. Khanongnuch C., Unban K., Kanpiengjai A. & Saenjum C. 2017. Recent research advances and ethno-botanical history of miang, a traditional fermented tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) of northern Thailand. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 4(3), 135-144.
  30. Kim Y., Goodner K. L., Park J.-D., Choi J. & Talcott S. T. 2011. Changes in antioxidant phytochemicals and volatile composition of Camellia sinensis by oxidation during tea fermentation. Food Chemistry, 129(4), 1331-1342.
  31. Kobayashi M., Ichitani M., Suzuki Y., Unno T., Sugawara T., Yamahira T., Kato M., Takihara T., Sagesaka Y. & Kakuda T. 2009. Black-tea polyphenols suppress postprandial hypertriacylglycerolemia by suppressing lymphatic transport of dietary fat in rats. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 57(15), 7131-7136.
  32. Kurihara H., Shibata H., Fukui Y., Kiso Y., Xu J.-K., Yao X.-S. & Fukami H. 2006. Evaluation of the hypolipemic property of Camellia sinensis var. ptilophylla on postprandial hypertriglyceridemia. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(14), 4977-4981.
  33. Lee J., Lim J., Jung G., Kang J., Jo I., Kang K., Kim J., Kim B. & Yang H. 2023. Triterpenoid saponins from Camellia sinensis roots with cytotoxic and immunomodulatory effects. Phytochemistry, 113688. Lee M.-S., Kim C.-T. & Kim Y. 2009. Green tea (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate reduces body weight with regulation of multiple genes expression in adipose tissue of diet-induced obese mice. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 54(2), 151-157.
  34. Lin J. K. & Lin‐Shiau S. Y. 2006. Mechanisms of hypolipidemic and anti‐obesity effects of tea and tea polyphenols. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 50(2), 211-217.
  35. Liu T.-T., Liu X.-T., Chen Q.-X. & Shi Y. 2020. Lipase inhibitors for obesity: A review. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 128, 110314.
  36. Lk H. 1999. Anti-obesity action of oolong tea. Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 19, 501-507.
  37. Lu H., Yue P., Wang Y., Fu R., Jiang J. & Gao X. 2016. Optimization of Submerged Fermentation Parameters for Instant Dark Tea Production by Eurotium cristatum. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 40(5), 1134-1144.
  38. Lunagariya N. A., Patel N. K., Jagtap S. C. & Bhutani K. K. 2014. Inhibitors of pancreatic lipase: state of the art and clinical perspectives. EXCLI journal, 13, 897.
  39. Magaña-Rodríguez O. R., Ortega‑Pérez L. G., Ayala-Ruiz L. A., Piñon-Simental J. S., Gallegos-Torres O. F. & Rios‑Chavez P. 2023. Inhibitory Effects of Edible and Medicinal Plant Extracts on the Enzymatic Activity of Pancreatic Lipase. Journal of the Mexican Chemical Society, 67(3), 172-181.
  40. Matsuzawa Y. 2001. Life style-related disease. Nihon rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine, 59(1), 188-194.
  41. Mukherjee M. 2003. Human digestive and metabolic lipases—a brief review. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 22(5-6), 369-376.
  42. Murase T., Nagasawa A., Suzuki J., Hase T. & Tokimitsu I. 2002. Beneficial effects of tea catechins on diet-induced obesity: stimulation of lipid catabolism in the liver. International Journal of Obesity, 26(11), 1459-1464.
  43. Nagao T., Hase T. & Tokimitsu I. 2007. A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans. Obesity, 15(6), 1473-1483.
  44. Nakai M., Fukui Y., Asami S., Toyoda-Ono Y., Iwashita T., Shibata H., Mitsunaga T., Hashimoto F. & Kiso Y. 2005. Inhibitory effects of oolong tea polyphenols on pancreatic lipase in vitro. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53(11), 4593-4598.
  45. Namita P., Mukesh R. & Vijay K. J. 2012. Camellia sinensis (green tea): a review. Global Journal of Pharmacology, 6(2), 52-59.
  46. Oesch L., Tatlisumak T., Arnold M. & Sarikaya H. 2017. Obesity paradox in stroke–Myth or reality? A systematic review. PLOS One, 12(3), e0171334.
  47. Raederstorff D. G., Schlachter M. F., Elste V. & Weber P. 2003. Effect of EGCG on lipid absorption and plasma lipid levels in rats. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 14(6), 326-332.
  48. Rudelle S., Ferruzzi M. G., Cristiani I., Moulin J., Macé K., Acheson K. J. & Tappy L. 2007. Effect of a thermogenic beverage on 24‐hour energy metabolism in humans. Obesity, 15(2), 349-355.
  49. Sroka Z., Kapusta K., Suchańska K., Kołodziejczyk W., Żbikowska B., Gamian A., Strzelczyk K., Gleńsk M. & Wojciechowski K. 2025. Antiradical and Antioxidant Activity and Stimulation of Pancreatic Lipase by Extracts Obtained from Saponin-Rich Raw Materials: Experimental and In Silico Study. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26, 10254.
  50. Suzuki K., Yahara S., Hashimoto F. & Uyeda M. 2001. Inhibitory activities of (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate against topoisomerases I and II. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 24(9), 1088-1090.
  51. Tang G.-Y., Meng X., Gan R.-Y., Zhao C.-N., Liu Q., Feng Y.-B., Li S., Wei X.-L., Atanasov A. G. & Corke H. 2019. Health functions and related molecular mechanisms of tea components: an update review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(24), 6196.
  52. Wang M., Yu L., Tong Z., Sun G., Zhang X., Zhang Q., Xing X., Zhao J. V., Zhang X. & Yang X. 2025. Obesity, metabolic health, and brain health: Insights from a prospective cohort study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 120184.
  53. Wang S., Sun Z., Dong S., Liu Y. & Liu Y. 2014. Molecular interactions between (−)-epigallocatechin gallate analogs and pancreatic lipase. PLOS One, 9(11), e111143.
  54. Wang Y., Zhang M., Zhang Z., Lu H., Gao X. & Yue P. 2017. High‐theabrownins instant dark tea product by Aspergillus niger via submerged fermentation: α‐glucosidase and pancreatic lipase inhibition and antioxidant activity. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 97(15), 5100-5106.
  55. Wolfram S., Raederstorff D., Wang Y., Teixeira S. R., Elste V. & Weber P. 2005. TEAVIGOTM (epigallocatechin gallate) supplementation prevents obesity in rodents by reducing adipose tissue mass. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 49(1), 54-63.
  56. World Health Organization. 2025. Obesity and overweight. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight (Accessed: 4 November 2025.) Yang C. S. & Landau J. M. 2000. Effects of tea consumption on nutrition and health. The Journal of Nutrition, 130(10), 2409-2412.
  57. Yang C. S., Zhang J., Zhang L., Huang J. & Wang Y. 2016. Mechanisms of body weight reduction and metabolic syndrome alleviation by tea. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 60(1), 160-174. Yen G.-C. & Chen H.-Y. 1995. Antioxidant activity of various tea extracts in relation to their antimutagenicity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 43(1), 27-32.
  58. Yoshikawa M., Morikawa T., Yamamoto K., Kato Y., Nagatomo A. & Matsuda H. 2005. Floratheasaponins A− C, acylated oleanane-type triterpene oligoglycosides with anti-hyperlipidemic activities from flowers of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Journal of Natural Products, 68(9), 1360-1365.
  59. Yoshikawa M., Sugimoto S., Kato Y., Nakamura S., Wang T., Yamashita C. & Matsuda H. 2009. Acylated oleanane‐type triterpene saponins with acceleration of gastrointestinal transit and inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase from flower buds of Chinese tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Chemistry & Biodiversity, 6(6), 903-915.
  60. Yu H., Dong S., Wang L. & Liu Y. 2017. The effect of triterpenoid saponins on pancreatic lipase in vitro: Activity, conformation, kinetics, thermodynamics and morphology. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 125, 1-9.
  61. Yuda N., Tanaka M., Suzuki M., Asano Y., Ochi H. & Iwatsuki K. 2012. Polyphenols extracted from black tea (Camellia sinensis) residue by hot‐compressed water and their inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase in vitro. Journal of Food Science, 77(12), 254-261.
  62. Zarei N., De Craene J.-O., Shekarforoush S. S., Nazifi S., Golmakani M.-T., Giglioli-Guivarc'h N. & Eskandari M. H. 2025. Anti-obesity potential of selected medicinal plants: a focused study on in vitro inhibitory effects on lipase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 348, 119733.
  63. Zhang L., Ho C. T., Zhou J., Santos J. S., Armstrong L. & Granato D. 2019. Chemistry and biological activities of processed Camellia sinensis teas: A comprehensive review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 18(5), 1474-1495.
  64. Zhang X., Ma H., Quaisie J., Gu C., Guo L., Liu D., Chen Y. & Zhang T. 2022. Tea saponin extracted from seed pomace of Camellia oleifera Abel ameliorates DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis-like symptoms in BALB/c mice. Journal of Functional Foods, 91, 105001.
  65. Zhao T., Li C., Wang S. & Song X. 2022. Green tea (Camellia sinensis): A review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. Molecules, 27(12), 3909.
  66. Zhao Y., Su R., Zhang W., Yao G. & Chen J. 2020. Antibacterial activity of tea saponin from Camellia oleifera shell by novel extraction method. Industrial Crops and Products, 153, 112604.