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Review
. 2023 Mar 24:14:1144878.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1144878. eCollection 2023.

Catechins: Protective mechanism of antioxidant stress in atherosclerosis

Yuhan Sheng  1 , Yizhuo Sun  1 , Yang Tang  1 , Yanru Yu  1 , Jiarou Wang  1 , Fengjie Zheng  1 , Yuhang Li  1 , Yan Sun  1
Affiliations
Review

Catechins: Protective mechanism of antioxidant stress in atherosclerosis

Yuhan Sheng et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Tea has long been valued for its health benefits, especially its potential to prevent and treat atherosclerosis (AS). Abnormal lipid metabolism and oxidative stress are major factors that contribute to the development of AS. Tea, which originated in China, is believed to help prevent AS. Research has shown that tea is rich in catechins, which is considered a potential source of natural antioxidants. Catechins are the most abundant antioxidants in green tea, and are considered to be the main compound responsible for tea's antioxidant activity. The antioxidant properties of catechins are largely dependent on the structure of molecules, and the number and location of hydroxyl groups or their substituents. As an exogenous antioxidant, catechins can effectively eliminate lipid peroxidation products. They can also play an antioxidant role indirectly by activating the endogenous antioxidant system by regulating enzyme activity and signaling pathways. In this review, we summarized the preventive effect of catechin in AS, and emphasized that improving the antioxidant effect and lipid metabolism disorders of catechins is the key to managing AS.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; catechins; lipid metabolism disorders; oxidative stress; tea.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic diagram of AS formation mechanism. LDL enters the subendothelium and undergoes ROS oxidation to become ox-LDL. ox-LDL damages the endothelium, allowing monocytes to enter the inner membrane and differentiate into macrophages, which engulf ox-LDL in large quantities, forming foam cells.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Structure of the principal catechins. EC (1) has an ortho-dihydroxyl group in the B-ring at carbons 3′and 4′and a hydroxyl group at carbon 3 on the C ring. EGC (2) has a trihydroxyl group at carbons 3′, 4′, and 5′on the B ring. ECG (3) has a gallate moiety esterified at carbon 3 of the C ring, while EGCG (4) has both a trihydroxyl group at carbons 3′, 4′, and 5′on the B ring and a gallate moiety esterified at carbon 3 on the C ring.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Schematic diagram of oxidative stress-related signal pathway. Catechins can induce the activation of Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signal pathway, inhibit the activation of MAPK/AP-1 pathway, and block the activation of transcription factor NF- κ B and increase PPAR γ, PGC1 a And PPAR a Protein level. These reactions all work together to help reduce oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. For detailed explanation, please see text.
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Grants and funding

We are grateful for funds supported from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 82074325).
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