Matcha with probiotic yeast and gut barrier in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests, digested matcha with a probiotic yeast protected gut barrier cells from inflammation damage and changed the mix of plant compounds.
The yeast survived better when taken with matcha than in water.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Polyphenol content
The digested matcha plus probiotic mixture had more total polyphenols than matcha alone. Gallic acid was about 322% higher in the mixture.
Caffeine reduction
The matcha plus probiotic mixture had about 40.5% less caffeine than matcha alone after digestion.
Barrier protection
Both matcha alone and matcha plus probiotic protected the gut cell barrier from inflammation damage, keeping resistance values higher than in inflamed cells without treatment.
Gene activity
Only the matcha plus probiotic mixture prevented the inflammation-driven rise in Claudin-1 gene activity. It also lowered activity of the inflammation gene NF-κB and the antioxidant gene SOD2.
Probiotic survival
The probiotic yeast survived digestion better when taken with matcha tea (35.15% viability) than in mineral water (14.95% viability).
What the authors conclude
“Taken together, these findings suggest that probiotic enrichment not only preserves but enhances the nutrigenomic effect of matcha tea.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that enriching matcha tea with the probiotic yeast improves its chemical profile and enhances its effects on gut cells.
- They suggest this probiotic-enriched matcha could be used in foods with potential benefits for intestinal health.
- They note that their study was done in lab tests and that future studies in living animals or people are needed to confirm the findings.
How it was done
Matcha's health benefits depend on how much of its plant compounds survive digestion and reach the gut. The authors wanted to see if adding a probiotic yeast could improve that.
They made three mixtures: matcha alone, matcha with the probiotic yeast Lachancea thermotolerans DiSVA322, and the yeast alone. These went through a simulated digestion system, then were tested on Caco-2 cells, a human gut cell line, to check barrier integrity and gene activity.
What it can’t tell you
- These are lab tests using cells and a simulated digestion system. They cannot show what happens in people.
- The study looked at gene activity, not protein levels or actual gut function, so the molecular effects are not confirmed.
- The reduction in caffeine was linked to the yeast, but the authors say the exact reason cannot be determined from this study.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by University of Camerino (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Camerino, Italy; Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy
The paper
- Title
- A Matcha Tea Formulation Containing Lachancea thermotolerans : Phytochemical Profile After In Vitro Digestion and Effects on Intestinal Epithelial Function
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Rucci C, Feliziani G, Agarbati A, et al (2026). A Matcha Tea Formulation Containing Lachancea thermotolerans : Phytochemical Profile After In Vitro Digestion and Effects on Intestinal Epithelial Function. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu18183004Free full textPubMed 42796987DOI
Summary written 29 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error