Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42243131›Full record

ArticleNPJ science of food2026

Green tea catechin EGCG attenuates hippocampal atrophy and cognitive impairment in obesity via autophagy signaling.

Kunyi Huang, Xin Li, Yujie Chen, Yiyun Qi, Weiying Zhang, Jia Ee Tan, Jia Ying Chan, Jiashuo Lu, Fangyi Hao, Jiayi Shi and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in NPJ science of food, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Kunyi Huang *School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
Xin Li *School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
Yujie Chen *School of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yiyun QiSchool of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
Weiying ZhangSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jia Ee TanSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jia Ying ChanSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jiashuo LuSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Fangyi HaoSchool of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
Jiayi ShiSchool of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
Shuting YanSchool of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
Zhenzhen HuangLaboratory Animal Center, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Xiaojun WuState Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. xiaojunwu320@126.com.
Qi XuSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. isuxuqi@163.com.
Zhiwei MaSchool of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China. zma.qualia@gmail.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82373563Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality 24ZR1451500Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine SHUTCM-SKL-202503
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Obesity is prevalent and linked to cognitive impairment via hippocampal atrophy and insulin resistance. Here, we investigated whether the primary catechin of green tea, epigallocatechin‑3‑gallate (EGCG), could attenuate this neuropathology. Epidemiological analysis of UK Biobank adults with obesity provided an initial clue, showing a positive linear trend between green tea intake and hippocampal volume (p = 0.07). To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we administered a human‑achievable dose of EGCG (50 mg/kg) to high‑fat diet-fed mice. EGCG treatment significantly reduced body weight and inflammatory signaling while improving insulin sensitivity, attenuating hippocampal atrophy, and mitigating cognitive deficits. Mechanistically, EGCG rescued synaptic structural integrity by suppressing the pro-inflammatory JNK pathway, restoring hippocampal insulin signaling (IRS1/Akt), and stimulating neuronal autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 axis. Together, these data provide translational evidence that EGCG counteracts obesity-linked neurodegeneration by linking metabolic health to hippocampal integrity through the inflammation-insulin-autophagy axis, motivating dietary trials to mitigate cognitive impairment.

Identifiers

PMID42243131
PMCPMC13554131

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.