Effects of long-term administration of theasinensin A on healthy C57BL/6J mice: Enhancing the function of epididymal white adipose tissue and regulating the colonic microenvironment

•Long-administration of 100 mg/kg body weight TSA might be non-toxic to healthy mice.•TSA enhanced energy mobilization of epididymal white adipose tissue.•TSA strengthened intestinal barrier integrity.•TSA promoted the abundance of beneficial microbe Akkermansia muciniphila.•TSA has the potential resistance to metabolic disorder diseases. The effects of theasinensin A (TSA) on healthy C57BL/6J mice were investigated. Results showed that long-term administration of 100 mg/kg body weight/day TSA might be non-toxic to healthy mice based on the unaltered basal biochemical indicators related to glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammatory factors and hepatic injury. On the contrary, TSA stimulated the rate of lipid turnover and browning of white adipose tissues, accelerated the adipocytic energy mobilization, and then reduced the white adipocytic size, ultimately enhancing resistance to obesity in healthy mice. Furthermore, TSA not only up-regulated the expression of mucin, tight junction protein, and short-chain fatty acids receptor, but also regulated the intestinal microbiota by enhancing the typical beneficial microbe Akkermansia muciniphila, thereby modulating the colonic microenvironment. These results suggested that TSA had a potential strengthening effect on the resistance of healthy mice to metabolic disorders, which provides a theoretical basis for the utilization of TSA.