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Novel Findings of Anti-obesity Effects of Kanuka (Kunzea Ericoides) Leaf Water Extract in Mice: Bile Acid Micelles Disruption Activity

Received: 25 November 2025     Accepted: 8 December 2025     Published: 30 December 2025
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Abstract

Kanuka is an evergreen tree belonging to the genus Kunzea in the Myrtaceae family, locally, its leaves are primarily consumed as herbal tea, and little is known about its physiological effects or chemical constituents. On the other hand, bile acids play a role in micellizing dietary fats and cholesterols, facilitating their absorption from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream. Therefore, bile acid micelles disruption (BAMD) could inhibit fatty acid absorption and possibly suppress obesity-related blood indexes and body weight gain. In the present study, we found a water-soluble Kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) leaf extract (KWE) that exhibited the following novel significant effects related with obesity: 1) potent BAMD activity (50% BAMD at 0.15 mg/mL); 2) reduced adipose tissue weights of perirenal, peritesticular mass weight compared with the control group, perirenal fat mass weight was significantly increased in the HFD group but was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in the HFD+KWE group, and intrahepatic fat content when compared to the control group, negligible changes were observed in the HFD group, while significantly reductions were observed in the HFD+KWE group; and 3) lowered blood indexes (total cholesterols and triglyceride levels) with reduction tendency towards body weight gain in male C57BL/6J mice. As far as we know, our present endeavor is the first documented study that showed KWE to elicit suppressive effects on obesity-related parameters in mice.

Published in International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23
Page(s) 514-520
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Kanuka (Kunzea Ericoides), Bile Acid Micelles Disruption, Anti-obesity Effects, Mice

References
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[2] Fujita, H., Yamagami, T and Ohshima, T., Long-term ingestion of a fermented soybean-derived touchi-extract with alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity is safe and effective in humans with borderline and mild type-2 diabetes. J. Nutri., (2001), 131(8): 2105-2108.
[3] Fujita, H., Yamagami, T and Ohshima, T., Efficacy and safety of touchi extract, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor derived from fermented soybeans, in non-insulin-dependent diabetic mellitus. J. Nutri. Biochem., (2001).12, 351-356.
[4] Fujita, H., Yamagami., Fermented soybean-derived touchi-extract with anti-diabetic effect via alpha-glucosidase inhibitory action in a long-term administration study with KKAy mice. Life Sci., (2001). 70(2): 219-227.
[5] Oi, Y., Hou, I, C., Fujita, H and Yazawa K. Antiobesity effects of chinese black tea (Pu-erh Tea) extract and gallic acid. Phytother. Res., (2011).
[6] Kubota, K., Sumi, S., Tojo, H., Sumi-Inoue, Y, I-Ching., Oi, Y., Fujita, H., and Urata, H. Improvements of mean body mass index and body weight in preobese and overweight Japanese adults with black Chinese tea (Pu-Erh) water extract. Nutr. Res. (2011).31, 421–428.
[7] Ikeda, I., Tanaka, K., Sugano, M., Vahouny V. V. and Gallo, L. L. Inhibition of cholesterol absorption in rats by plant sterols. J. Lipid Res., (1988) 29. 1573-1582.
[8] Kobayashi, M., Unnno, T., Suzuki, Y., Nozawa, A., Sagesaka, Y., Takuda, T. and Ikeda, I. Heat-Epimerized Tea Catechins Have the Same Cholesterol-Lowering Activity as Green Tea Catechins in Cholesterol-Fed Rats. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. (2005). 69(12), 2455–2458.
[9] Nagaoka, S., Miwa, K., Eto, M., Kuzuya, Y. and Hori, G. Soy protein peptic hydrolysate with bound phospholipids decreases micellar solubility and cholesterol absorption in rats and caco-2 cells. J. Nutr., (1999). 129: 1725–1730.
[10] Ikeda, I., Yanabe, Y. and Sugano, M., Effects of sitosterol and sitostanol on micellar solubility of cholesterol. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol., (1989).35, 361-369.
[11] Ikeda, I., Yamahira, T., Kato, M. and Ishikawa. Black-tea polyphenols decrease micellar solubility of cholesterol in vitro and intestinal absorption of cholesterol in rats. J. Agric. Food Chem. (2010).58, 8591–8595.
[12] Fujita, H. and Yamagami, T. Antihypercholesterolemic effect of Chinese black tea extract in human subjects with borderline hypercholesterolemia. Nutr. Res., (2008). 28: 450–456.
[13] Semprini, A., Singer, J., Braithwaite, I., Shortt, N., Thayabaran, D., McConnell, M., Weatherall, M. and Beasley, Richard. Kanuka honey versus aciclovir for the topical treatment of herpes simplex labialis: a randomized controlled trial. Br. Med. J., (2019).14; 9(5): e026201.
[14] Tomblin, V., Ferguson. L., Han, D Y., Murray, P. and Schlothauer, R. Potential pathway of anti-inflammatory effect by New Zealand honeys. Int. J. Gen. Med., (2014). 5(7), 149-58.
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    Yamaguchi, S., Yano, Y., Nozaki, T., Kato, M., Fujita, H. (2025). Novel Findings of Anti-obesity Effects of Kanuka (Kunzea Ericoides) Leaf Water Extract in Mice: Bile Acid Micelles Disruption Activity. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 14(6), 514-520. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23

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    ACS Style

    Yamaguchi, S.; Yano, Y.; Nozaki, T.; Kato, M.; Fujita, H. Novel Findings of Anti-obesity Effects of Kanuka (Kunzea Ericoides) Leaf Water Extract in Mice: Bile Acid Micelles Disruption Activity. Int. J. Nutr. Food Sci. 2025, 14(6), 514-520. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23

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    AMA Style

    Yamaguchi S, Yano Y, Nozaki T, Kato M, Fujita H. Novel Findings of Anti-obesity Effects of Kanuka (Kunzea Ericoides) Leaf Water Extract in Mice: Bile Acid Micelles Disruption Activity. Int J Nutr Food Sci. 2025;14(6):514-520. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23,
      author = {Sanaka Yamaguchi and Yoshihisa Yano and Tsutomu Nozaki and Masaki Kato and Hiroyuki Fujita},
      title = {Novel Findings of Anti-obesity Effects of Kanuka (Kunzea Ericoides) Leaf Water Extract in Mice: Bile Acid Micelles Disruption Activity},
      journal = {International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences},
      volume = {14},
      number = {6},
      pages = {514-520},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20251406.23},
      abstract = {Kanuka is an evergreen tree belonging to the genus Kunzea in the Myrtaceae family, locally, its leaves are primarily consumed as herbal tea, and little is known about its physiological effects or chemical constituents. On the other hand, bile acids play a role in micellizing dietary fats and cholesterols, facilitating their absorption from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream. Therefore, bile acid micelles disruption (BAMD) could inhibit fatty acid absorption and possibly suppress obesity-related blood indexes and body weight gain. In the present study, we found a water-soluble Kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) leaf extract (KWE) that exhibited the following novel significant effects related with obesity: 1) potent BAMD activity (50% BAMD at 0.15 mg/mL); 2) reduced adipose tissue weights of perirenal, peritesticular mass weight compared with the control group, perirenal fat mass weight was significantly increased in the HFD group but was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in the HFD+KWE group, and intrahepatic fat content when compared to the control group, negligible changes were observed in the HFD group, while significantly reductions were observed in the HFD+KWE group; and 3) lowered blood indexes (total cholesterols and triglyceride levels) with reduction tendency towards body weight gain in male C57BL/6J mice. As far as we know, our present endeavor is the first documented study that showed KWE to elicit suppressive effects on obesity-related parameters in mice.},
     year = {2025}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Novel Findings of Anti-obesity Effects of Kanuka (Kunzea Ericoides) Leaf Water Extract in Mice: Bile Acid Micelles Disruption Activity
    AU  - Sanaka Yamaguchi
    AU  - Yoshihisa Yano
    AU  - Tsutomu Nozaki
    AU  - Masaki Kato
    AU  - Hiroyuki Fujita
    Y1  - 2025/12/30
    PY  - 2025
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23
    T2  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    SP  - 514
    EP  - 520
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2327-2716
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20251406.23
    AB  - Kanuka is an evergreen tree belonging to the genus Kunzea in the Myrtaceae family, locally, its leaves are primarily consumed as herbal tea, and little is known about its physiological effects or chemical constituents. On the other hand, bile acids play a role in micellizing dietary fats and cholesterols, facilitating their absorption from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream. Therefore, bile acid micelles disruption (BAMD) could inhibit fatty acid absorption and possibly suppress obesity-related blood indexes and body weight gain. In the present study, we found a water-soluble Kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) leaf extract (KWE) that exhibited the following novel significant effects related with obesity: 1) potent BAMD activity (50% BAMD at 0.15 mg/mL); 2) reduced adipose tissue weights of perirenal, peritesticular mass weight compared with the control group, perirenal fat mass weight was significantly increased in the HFD group but was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in the HFD+KWE group, and intrahepatic fat content when compared to the control group, negligible changes were observed in the HFD group, while significantly reductions were observed in the HFD+KWE group; and 3) lowered blood indexes (total cholesterols and triglyceride levels) with reduction tendency towards body weight gain in male C57BL/6J mice. As far as we know, our present endeavor is the first documented study that showed KWE to elicit suppressive effects on obesity-related parameters in mice.
    VL  - 14
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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