The Gut–Obesity Axis: How Herbal Prebiotics and Antimicrobials Reshape Metabolic Health (2025 Review)

Abstract Background: Obesity is intricately linked with gut microbiota dysbiosis, contributing to metabolic dysfunction and chronic inflammation (Yun, 2010). Objectives: This review investigates how herbal prebiotics and antimicrobials—such as turmeric, ginger, and green tea—reshape the gut microbiome to manage obesity (Chandrasekaran et al., 2012). Methods: We analyzed literature from PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar (2015–2025), prioritizing mechanistic, animal, or clinical studies (Abdullah et al., 2025). Results: Phytochemicals modulate microbial communities, enhancing SCFA production, reducing endotoxemia, and regulating adipogenesis (Wang et al., 2023; Zhao et al., 2024). Conclusions: Herbal agents offer safe, cost-effective options to complement obesity therapies via microbiota-mediated pathways (Abdullah et al., 2025). Keywords: gut microbiota, obesity, turmeric, ginger, green tea, herbal medicine

1. Introduction Why does obesity, despite intensive interventions, continue to rise globally? A key emerging factor is the gut microbiota, which governs nutrient metabolism, immune regulation, and systemic inflammation (Yun, 2010). Dysbiosis—an imbalance in gut microbial communities—contributes to obesity, insulin resistance, and endotoxemia (Chandrasekaran et al., 2012). Recent evidence links herbal therapies to microbiota modulation (Abdullah et al., 2025). However, no comprehensive synthesis exists on how widely used herbal agents mechanistically influence the gut–obesity axis. This review bridges that gap, offering a cross-disciplinary framework.
2. Methodology Search Strategy: Databases used include PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, filtering for 2015–2025 publications using terms like “gut microbiota,” “obesity,” “herbal medicine,” “turmeric,” “ginger,” and “green tea” (Abdullah et al., 2025). Inclusion Criteria: Peer-reviewed articles, mechanistic studies, animal models, and clinical trials (Abdullah et al., 2025). Exclusion Criteria: Preprints without peer review, editorials, or duplicates (Abdullah et al., 2025). Analysis Method: Thematic synthesis and critical appraisal (Abdullah et al., 2025).
3. Results and Thematic Synthesis

3.1 Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Ginger’s active component, 6-gingerol, reshapes gut microbiota by:

• Enriching Akkermansia muciniphila and Alloprevotella (Chen et al., 2023)
• Suppressing pro-inflammatory Desulfovibrio and Clostridia (Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 2024)
• Activating AdipoR1/AMPK in skeletal muscle (Abdullah et al., 2025)

Clinical Note: Ginger reduced Akkermansia in colorectal adenoma patients (Scientific Reports, 2024).

3.2 Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) EGCG modulates obesity through:

• Akkermansia enrichment improving mucin production (Wang et al., 2023)
• Thermogenesis via UCP1 upregulation and hormone modulation (Nutrients, 2024)
• Anti-inflammatory effects via NF-κB/TLR4 suppression (Food Research International, 2024)

Innovation Insight: Fermented green teas show superior effects due to microbial biotransformation (Zhao et al., 2024).

3.3 Fermented Teas Fermented variants like CDT and pu-erh:

• Suppress Desulfovibrio, increase Ruminococcus (Zhao et al., 2024)
• Inhibit lipid accumulation via PPAR-α (Food Research International, 2024)
• Activate FXR/FGF19, aiding bile acid recycling (Liu et al., 2024)

3.4 Global Research Trends (2024 Bibliometric Update)

• China (40.7%), Japan (12.6%), USA (10.3%) lead in publications (Liu et al., 2024)
• Key topics: Akkermansia, PPAR-α/UCP1, SCFAs
• Combined ginger and green tea cut waist circumference by 3.2 cm (Nutrients, 2024)

3.5 Future Directions

• Standardization: Uniform fermentation protocols
• Personalization: Nutrigenomics (e.g., UCP1-3826AA)
• Delivery: Nanoencapsulation like liposomal EGCG (Du et al., 2022)

4. Discussion Herbal agents target multiple obesity-related mechanisms through microbial reshaping, SCFA elevation, appetite suppression, and lipogenesis inhibition (Chen et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2023; Zhao et al., 2024). Despite efficacy, phytochemical variability and bioavailability challenges persist. Cross-continental studies may uncover strain-specific responses (Liu et al., 2024).
5. Conclusion Herbal prebiotics and antimicrobials promote a metabolically beneficial microbiota, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing adipogenesis, and inflammation. Future work must standardize formulas and verify outcomes in large cohorts (Liu et al., 2024).
6. References
7. Chen et al. (2023). 6-Gingerol’s effects on gut microbiota. Nutrition & Metabolism. DOI: 10.1186/s12986-023-00745-2
8. Wang et al. (2023). Green tea’s impact on Foods. DOI: 10.3390/foods12152953
9. Zhao et al. (2024). Dark tea’s anti-obesity mechanisms. DOI: 10.3390/nu16020432
10. Liu et al. (2024). Global trends in tea research. Frontiers in Nutrition. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1496582
11. Abdullah et al. (2025). Nanoencapsulation of gingerols. DOI: 10.1016/j.phytomed.2024.156352
12. Du et al. (2022). Enhancing polyphenol delivery via nano-liposomes. Journal of Functional Foods. DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2022.105104
13. Chandrasekaran et al. (2012). Herbal modulation of gut microbiota. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
14. Yun, J. W. (2010). Mechanisms of obesity-linked inflammation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Author Contributions
Geoffrey O. Mosota conceptualized the review theme and structure, performed the literature analysis, synthesized the findings, wrote the manuscript, and conducted the final revisions. The author affirms sole responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the content.

Conflict of Interest
The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Funding
This study received no specific external funding. The work was independently supported through personal resources and infrastructure provided by NativeInspire.Africa.

Acknowledgments
The author gratefully acknowledges the ongoing inspiration from the NativeInspire.Africa network of clinicians, scientists, and nature-based innovators committed to integrative wellness and planetary health. Special thanks to colleagues who contributed informal feedback during manuscript development.

Ethics Statement
This article is a literature-based review and does not involve any studies with human participants or animals performed by the author. Therefore, ethical approval and informed consent were not required.

Correspondence
Geoffrey O. Mosota
Email: [email protected]
Affiliation: NativeInspire.Africa, Nairobi, Kenya