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Correlation Between Catechin Content and NF-κB Inhibition by Infusions of Green and Black Tea

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Abstract

This study investigates whether infusions of green and black tea inhibit the NF-κB driven transcription in human epithelial gastric AGS cells. Water extracts were prepared from different brands of green and black tea available on the Italian market. Teas with or without caffeine were studied. An industrially prepared freeze-dried water extract of green tea was also tested. Catechin and caffeine contents were measured by HPLC analysis. The decrease in phenol and catechin content three months after the expiry date was also investigated. The NF-κB driven transcription and the free radical scavenger activity were inhibited, and this effect was related to catechin levels. The potency of epigallocatechin 3-gallate in inhibiting NF-κB driven transcription is so great that tea extracts low in epigallocatechin 3-gallate are still highly active. In one decaffeinated sample of green tea, the phenol and catechin content was very low, probably as a consequence of caffeine removal. The decrease in catechin levels after 3 months did not reduce the inhibition of NF-κB driven transcription by tea infusions. This is the first paper reporting the inhibitory effect of NF-κB of commercial green and black infusions at the gastric level, evaluating their stability as well.

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Abbreviations

BT:

Black tea

BTI:

Black tea infusions

DPPH:

1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl

DMEM F12:

Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium F12

GTD:

Decaffeinated green tea

BTD:

Decaffeinated black tea

EC:

Epicatechin

ECg:

Epicatechin 3-gallate

EGCg:

Epigallocatechin 3-gallate

FCS:

Fetal calf serum

GT:

Green tea

GTE:

Green tea extract

GTI:

Green tea infusions

Nuclear factor-kappaB:

NF-κB

TNFα:

Tumor necrosis factor alpha

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement n° 245199. It has been carried out within the PlantLIBRA project (website: http://www.plantlibra.eu). This report does not necessarily reflect the Commission’s views or its future policy on this area.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Chiara Di Lorenzo, Mario Dell’Agli, Enrico Sangiovanni, Ariana Dos Santos, Francesca Uberti, Enzo Moro, Enrica Bosisio & Patrizia Restani

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  1. Chiara Di Lorenzo
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  2. Mario Dell’Agli
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  3. Enrico Sangiovanni
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Correspondence to Mario Dell’Agli.

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Di Lorenzo, C., Dell’Agli, M., Sangiovanni, E. et al. Correlation Between Catechin Content and NF-κB Inhibition by Infusions of Green and Black Tea. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 68, 149–154 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-013-0354-0

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