• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.333-338
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• 1992

The tea tannins, epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, were successfully separated by a Sephadex LH-20 column by the acetone based gradient elution. Each fractions was collected by monitoring at 280nm. Purified fractions were directly characterized by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Epigallocatechin and epigallocatechin gallate were identified and shown as low as 70% purity in the reversed phase column. This revised method is more advantageous than known methods in purity and rapidity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.167-170
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• 2007

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a mai or tea catechin has been shown to have many interesting biological activities. In the present study, we studied the effects of green tea catechins, EGCG metabolites, and black tea theaflavins on accumulation of EGCG in HT-29 human colon cells. Intracellular levels of [$^3H$]-EGCG were not changed significantly in the presence of other tea catechins including (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, and (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate. EGCG methyl metabolites and EGCG 4"-glucuronide did not affect cellular levels of [$^3H$]-EGCG. Black tea theaflavins and theasinensin A (TsA), an EGCG oxidative dimer, however, significantly decreased cellular accumulation of EGCG in HT-29 cells by 31-56%. This decrease was more pronounced when cells were incubated in the presence of theaflavin-3',3"-digallate (TFdiG) or TsA. When EGCG was added separately from TFdiG or TsA, the accumulation of EGCG in HT-29 cells was also significantly decreased regardless of when TFdiG or TsA was added during the uptake study (p<0.01). The results suggest that theaflavins and TsA may interrupt EGCG absorption through the gastrointestinal epithelium.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 1997

Crude catechin extracts were prepared using ethyl acetate from Korean Puerariae Radix (PR) and their biological effects on the alcoholic liver damage were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats (6 weeks old). Ethanol (5g ethanol/kg body weight/day) administration was performed for 8 weeks and after ethanol consuming rats were treated with one or two% catechin extracts of diet for 8 weeks. At the end of experimental period, lipid hydroperoxides in liver were analyzed using a chemiluminescence-high performance liquid chromatography (CL-HPLC) method. Compared with control animals, ethanol consumed rats showed lighter body weights, lower ratios of liver/body weight, higher activities of GOT and GPT, and increased lipid hydroperoxide amount in liver. With one or two% catechin extracts treatment, GOT and GPT activities returned to normal ranges. Lipid hydroperoxide contents in liver of on or two% PR treated rats lowered to 20% or 25% respectively, compared with the levels of those ethanol consumed animals without catechin extracts treatment. Therefore, we concluded that on or two% PR crude catechins treatment could be effective for alcoholic liver damage caused by lipid peroxidation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.576-585
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• 2003

An improved method in place of a conventional vanillin spectroscopic method (CVSM) was developed for determination of catechin and its derivatives in extract and oil of grape seeds. For the CVSM, grape seed extracts had relatively high catechin content in the range of $17{\sim}43%$ (g/100g of extract), while grape seed oils had relatively smaller catechin content in the range of $30{\sim}40mg%$ (mg/100g of oil). For the improved vanillin spectroscopic method (IVSM) using a polyamide cartridge, catechin content of grape seed extracts was in the range of $4.0{\sim}7.5%$, while that of grape seed oils was below 5 ppm. Meanwhile, the quantities of catechin and its derivatives were determined by HPLC in the grape seed extracts and oils. Four major catechins [(+)-catechin, procyanidin B2, (-)-epicatechin, and epicatechin gallate] were detected from grape seed extracts, and the ranges of concentrations were as follows: (+)-catechin, $1.35{\sim}2.60%$; procyanidin $B_2$, $0.77{\sim}1.36%$; (-)-epicatechin, $2.35{\sim}4.59%$; (-)-epicatechin gallate, $0.06{\sim}0.30%$. In contrast, four catechins were barely detectable in the grape seed oils. The reproducibility of four major catechins in grape seed extracts, given as coefficient of variation, was below 5%, and the recovery close to above 95%. The achieved detection level of four catechins was $1{\sim}5\;ppm$. Additionally, the contents of catechin compositions in grape seed extract were also determined by HPLC in relation to different cultivars and producing areas. Thus, HPLC method and IVSM using polyamide cartridge can be used as alternative to CVSM for determination of catechin and its derivatives in extract and oil of grape seeds.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.91-99
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• 2010

The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of ultrasonification on extraction yield and chemical properties of green tea infusion. Changes in total soluble matter(TSM), vitamin C, total phenolic compounds, flavonols, catechins, caffeine, free amino acids contents in green tea infusion(GTI) influenced by ultrasonification at $60^{\circ}C$ of extraction temperature for 1, 5, 30, and 60 min were investigated. The amount of infused TSM increased about 5.3% by ultrasonification for 60min. Vitamin C contents also increased 0.21, 0.16, 0.31 mg/g from 1 to 30 min by ultrasonification. However, vitamin C decreased from 2.47 to 2.22 mg/g at 60min. Total phenol compounds contents increased about 10~13 mg/g on all extraction times by ultrasonification. Flavonols such as, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol were increased to doubled contents as an influence of ultrasonification. Catechins such as, EGCG, EGC, ECG, EC, (+)-C and caffeine contents showed same tendency as the results of vitamin C. On the other hand, result of free amino acids showed different tendency. All amounts of free amino acids did not increase by ultrasonification. Consequently, content of bioactive compounds such as, vitamin C, total phenolic, flavonols and catechins in green tea infusion were influenced by ultrasonification.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2005

A cumulative evidence indicates that consumption of tea catechin, flavan-3-ol derived from green tea leaves, lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, a precise mechanism for this cardiovascular action has not yet been fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the effects of different green tea catechins, such as epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin-3 gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC), on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertrophy in primary cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC). [$^3H$]-leucine incorporation was used to assess VSMC hypertrophy, protein kinase assay, and western blot analysis were used to assess mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity, and RT-PCR was used to assess c-jun or c-fos transcription. Ang II increased [$^3H$]-leucine incorporation into VSMC. However, EGCG and ECG, but not EGC or EC, inhibited [$^3H$]-leucine incorporation increased by Ang II. Ang II increased phosphorylation of c-Jun, extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and p38 MAPK in VSMC, however, EGCG and ECG , but not EGC or EC, attenuated c-Jun phosphorylation increased by Ang II. ERK 1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation induced by Ang II were not affected by any catechins. Ang II increased c-jun and c-fos mRNA expression in VSMC, however, EGCG inhibited c-jun but not c-fos mRNA expression induced by Ang II. ECG, EGC and EC did not affect c-jun or c-fos mRNA expression induced by Ang II. Our findings indicate that the galloyl group in the position 3 of the catechin structure of EGCG or ECG is essential for inhibiting VSMC hypertrophy induced by Ang II via the specific inhibition of JNK signaling pathway, which may explain the beneficial effects of green tea catechin on the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases observed in several epidemiological studies.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.421-426
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• 2006

Preservation stability of the extract from dried green tea produced in Jeju, extracted at $55^{\circ}C$ for 15 min and bottled in PET container after filtration and then settled at $4^{\circ}C$, indoor at room temperature and outdoor, respectively, was estimated. Color L-value was almost constant but color of the extract became darkened during storage, especially in indoor storage. Main catechins of green tea extract were (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin, (+)-catechin, epicatechin gallate in order, and the content of epigallocatechin was 53.8%. Nevertheless total catechin content was not changed in cold storage, and $4.7\sim10%$ of total catechins were reduced in outdoor or indoor storage after 14 weeks. Caffeine content were increased but total polyphenols were not changed largely during storage. Election donating abilities (EDA) showed more than 60% without influence of storage conditions and periods. Nitrite scavenging abilities (NSA) showed more than 90% at pH 1.2, but those were decreased gradually as pH increased, and then disappeared at pH 6.0. Color, polyphenols, antioxidant activities of extract were not so changed for more than 3 months. Microbial growth was not shown during same periods, due to heat treatment of the extracts at $95^{\circ}C$ for 10 min.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.370-376
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• 1998

The extraction yield of MeOH extract of green teas, oolong tea and black tea were 3 to 5, 4 to 5, and 5 to 7 fold higher than those of EtOH and EtAC extract, respectively. The amount of total catechins of EtAC extract of the black tea, and of the green teas and oolong tea were three- and two-fold higher than that of EtOH or MeOH extract of the corresponding teas, respectively. The antioxidative activities of EtOH, MeOH and EtAc extract were considerably higher than that of BHT and $dl-{\alpha}-tocopherol$ at 200 ppm level. The antioxidative activities of EtOH and MeOH extract at 200 and 500 ppm level, and of EtAc extract at 200 ppm level varied depending on the type of tea as follows : green tea I > green tea II > green tea III > oo-long tea> black tea. The antioxidative activity increased as the content of EGC increased. But the antioxidative activity of MeOH extract at 1000 ppm level, and of EtAc extract at 500 and 1000 ppm level were not affected by the content of EGC and EGCG.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.510-515
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• 2008

Microwave energy was applied to the extraction of functional catechins from grape seed. The solvent, absolute ethanol, reached the boiling point when exposed for less than 3 min microwave treatment at 100 W. The effects of independent variables in microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), including microwave power (0-160W, $X_1$), ethanol concentration (0-100%, $X_2$) and extraction time (1-5 min, $X_3$), were investigated on each response variable ($Y_n$), and the contents of catechin and its derivatives were determined via response surface methodology, thereby allowing us to predict their optimal extraction conditions. The predicted maximal values of (+)-catechin, procyanidin $B_2$, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-epicatechin gallate were 137.99, 72.78, 222.38, and 9.59 mg%, respectively, under different MAE conditions. The predicted extraction conditions for maximum catechin responses were as follows: 104.10 W of microwave power, 45.35% of EtOH, and 4.89 min of extraction time for (+)-catechin (137.99 mg%), 133.16 W, 46.16% and 4.49 min for procyanidin $B_2$ (72.78 mg%), 136.00 W, 41.37% and 4.39 min for (-)-epicatechin (222.38 mg%), 143.20 W, 37.51% and 1.88 min for (-)-epicatechin gallate (9.59 mg%), respectively. The contents of (+)-catechin, procyanidin 1B2 and (-)-epicatechin in MAE were similarly influenced by three independent variables, whereas (-)-epicatechin gallate was influenced less profoundly by ethanol concentration and extraction time.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.713-719
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• 1995

These studies were carried out to investigate the effects of Puerariae radix catechins(PRC) administration on the biochemical parameters of liver function in liver of carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)-treated rats. Thirty six healthy Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 120g were used for this experiment and divided intot he following 3 groups : normal control group(NCON), $CCl_4$ control group(CCON), PRC treated group(PRC). Fifty percent $CCl_4$ in oil was administered(I.P.) by 2ml per kg body weight two times a week for 3 weeks. PRC treated groups were administered orally at the leaves of 1% per day in distilled water for 8 weeks. Lipid hydroperoxides were analyzed by using chemiluminescence-high performance liquid chromatography(CL-HPLC) method as a phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide value(PCOOH) in liver tissues. $CCl_4$ treatment significantly(p<0.05) resulted in an increase in GPT & GOT activities and liver hydroperoxide values comparing with those of the untreated control, while administration of PRC to the $CCl_4-treated$ rats significantly(p<0.001) decreased GPT & GOT activities and liver hydroperoxide value. Their ultrastructual changes of hepatocellular organelles were shown to clarify the morphologic nature of protective effects of PRC on hepatocytic injuries. $CCl_4$ treatment observed to change the ultrastructual nature of outer membrane of hepatocytes. However, the hepatic changes on PRC treatment to $CCl_4$ group was not found. PRC administration may inhibit the formatiion of liver lipid hydroperoxides in vivo and were very effective in recovering the liver function in $CCl_4-treated$ rats.