• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2005

Green tea, which has high polyphenols amount, is thought to have hypocholesterolemic effects. The present study was performed to further examine the hypocholesterolemic action of green tea, especially (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for its effect on diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=15) were fed a green tea-free diet (control), $1.0\%$ green tea catechin (catechin) or $0.5\%$ green tea catechin EGCG for seven weeks. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by adding $1\%$ cholesterol and $0.5\%$ cholic acid to all diets. There was no difference in food intake and body weight gain among the groups. The green tea EGCG treatment led to a significant improvement in plasma levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL)/LDL ratio (p<0.05). There was no significant effect on the plasma HDL-cholesterol level. The catechin treatment led to a 4.19-fold increase in the LDL-receptor mRNA level compared to the control, but the EGCG treatment did not affect the hepatic LDL-receptor mRNA level. Our results suggest that when blood cholesterol level is down-regulated by green tea EGCG, the LDL receptor gene-independent pathway may dominate the hypocholesterolemic action of EGCG.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.166-172
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• 2013

Caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) are major constituents of green tea, the leaves of Camellia sinensis (Theaceae). Although EGCG is well known for diverse beneficial effect, caffeine is sometimes harmful with adverse effects. Therefore, the extraction efficiency was investigated using different extraction method such as extraction solvent, extraction time, extraction method, and repeated extraction. The content of EGCG and caffeine in green tea extract was quantitated by HPLC analysis. The extraction condition exerted difference on the extraction yield. The content of EGCG was also affected by different extraction condition. Especially, the extraction solvent greatly affected the content of EGCG in the extract. However, the content of caffeine was less affected compared to that of EGCG. The inhibitory effect of green tea extract on pancreatic lipase was almost similar regardless of extraction condition. Taken together, optimization of extraction condition will provide best efficacy for further development of green tea as anti-obesity therapeutics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2004

Green tea, which is high in polyphenols, is thought to have hypocholesterolemic effects. The present study was performed to further elucidate the hypocholesterolemic actions of green tea, specially the catechin and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for their effects on the diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with green tea-free diet (control), diets containing 4% green tea powder (GTP), 1.0% green tea catechin (catechin) or 0.5% epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for 7 wks. All diets that were provided green tea contained approximately 0.5% EGCG Hypercholesterolemia was induced by adding 1% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid to all diets. There were no differences in food intake among groups. The green tea treatments showed significant improvement in the serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerides and atherogenic index in the following order; EGCG>Catechin>GTP (p<0.05). The serum HDL-cholesterol level was highest in the EGCG-treated group. The catechin or EGCG diet up-regulated by 5 times the enzyme activity of hepatic cholesterol 7$\alpha$ -hydroxylase (CYP7Al) compared to control diet (p<0.05). Hepatic CYP7Al mRNA level paralleled tile increases in the CYP7Al activity. These results suggest that the EGCG in the green tea may account for the hypocholesterolemic effect by the induction of CYP7Al gene expression.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.154-159
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• 1995

Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by tea extracts obtained from non-fermented tea(steamed green tea and roasted green tea), semi-fermented tea(oolong tea) and fermented tea(black tea) were investigated. The crude catechin fraciton had a hgher inhibitory effect against xanthine oxidase, and the effect was increased with the addition of tea extracts. Their inhibitory effect were hardly influenced until extracted three times with hot water. According to the investigation of catechins in the crude catechin fraction obtained from tea extracts, (-)-epicatechin-(EC), (-)-epicatechin gallate(ECg). (-)-epigallocatechin(EGC) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate(EGCg) were 80.1$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg 113.5$\mu\textrm{g}$ /mg, 186.3$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg and 367.7$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg in steamed green tea, and 75.6$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg, 114.7$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg, 193.7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mg and 381.9$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg in roasted green tea, and 69.4$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg, 110.0$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg, 127.1$\mu\textrm{g}$.mg and 464.9$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg in oolong tea, and 78.1$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg, 171.8$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg, 80.7$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg and 51.4$\mu\textrm{g}$/mg in black tea, respectively. Order of the content of these catechins was (-)-EGCg>(-)-EGC>(-)-ECg>(-)-EC in steamed green tea, roasted green tea and oolong tea, and was (-)-ECg>(-)-EGC>(-)-EC>(-)-EGCg in black tea. Also the concentration of catechins was hardly influeced until extracted three times. The inhibition ratio of xanthine oxidase by autherntic catechins was hardly influenced until extracted three times. The inhibition ratio of xanthine oxidase by authentic catechins was 94.9% and 87.6% by addition of 5.0$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of (-)-EGCg and (-)-ECg, respectively. the inhibitors of xanthine oxidase were supposed to be due to (-)-ECg and (-)-EGCg in tea polyphenol compounds.

• 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.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.517-522
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• 1999

A green tea used in this experiment was cultivated at Bosung (Chonnam) and purchased from a domestic market. The extract at 5$0^{\circ}C$ water from the powder of green tea partitioned with chloroform and ethyl acetate. The resulting solution was further purified with a chromatographic column (4.6$\times$250 mm, 15${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, Lichrospher 100RP-18). Finally separation was achieved on a $\mu$-Bondapak $C_18$(3.9$\times$300mm, 10${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) column. The elution order of the catechin compounds contained in the green tea was EGC(Epigallocatechin, C(catechin), EC(Epicatechin), EGCG(Epigallocatechin Gallate) and ECG(Epicatechin Gallate). From the experimental results the mobile phase for isolating EGCG from the extract consisted of 0.1% acetic acid in water/acetonitrile, 87/13%(v/v). The flow rate of mobile phase was 1.0 $m\ell$/min, and UV wavelength was fixed at 280 nm. 121.3 mg of EGCG, higher than 98% of purity, was obtained from 5 g of dry green tea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.386-389
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• 1992

The four main tea catechin components (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) , (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECg), and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) were analyzed quantitatively from commerical green teas by HPLC. CATechin of the most amounts in steamed and parched teas was EGcg (steamed 1st : 7.54% , parched 1st : 7.88%). Amounts of catechins decreased in the following order : EGCg > EGC>ECg>EC. Almost same tendency of catechin components change of 1st tea and 2nd tea differed to harvesting time being observed in steamed and parched teas. In 2nd tea, amounts of EGCg increased more than in 1st tea. It seems that this change effects on the quality of tea taste.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.278-285
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• 2012

In an experiment in which fermentation was done by adding fungal species that have antibiosis but do not have cellulase, the extraction amount of EGC, EC, EGCG, and ECG increased in all samples that fermented by adding sun-dried salt compared to those that fermented only with green tea after fermenting green tea by mixing it with sun-dried salt. In the analysis conducted according to the days of fermentation, the high extraction amounts of EGC(epigallocatechin), ECG(epicatechin gallate), EC(epicatechin), and EGCG(epigallocatechin gallate) were detected on the second and third day. Furthermore, when fermentation was done by adding ferment bacillus, all types of catechin(EGC, EC, EGCG, ECG) extraction increased in Paenibacillus spp but in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, EGC and EC decreased while EGCG and ECG increased; whereas in Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus subtilis all types of catechin(EGC, EC, EGCG, ECG) decreased. The results of the above experiment reveal that the largest amount of catechin was extracted from the result which conducted fermentation for three days together with sun-dried salt and Paenibacillus spp in the green tea.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.799-804
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• 2006

Ingestion of green tea has been shown to decrease prostaglandin $E_2$ levels in human colorectum, suggesting that tea constituents modulate arachidonic acid metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the effects of four purified green tea catechins, (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), on the catalytic activity of cytosolic phospholipase $A_2$ ($cPLA_2$) and release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites from intact cells. At $50\;{\mu}M$, EGCG and ECG inhibited $cPLA_2$ activity by 19 and 37%, respectively, whereas EC and EGC were less effective. The inhibitory effects of these catechins on arachidonic acid metabolism in intact cells were much more pronounced. At $10\;{\mu}M$, EGCG and ECG inhibited the release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites by 50-70% in human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) and human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells (KYSE-190 and 450). EGCG and ECG also inhibited arachidonic acid release induced by A23187, a calcium ionophore, in both HT-29 and KYSE-450 cell lines by 30-50%. The inhibitory effects of green tea catechins on $cPLA_2$ and arachidonic acid release may provide a possible mechanism for the prevention of human gastrointestinal inflammation and cancers.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.73-82
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• 2018

Cancer preventive activities of green tea and its main constituent, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) have been extensively studied by scientists all over the world. Since 1983, we have studied the cancer chemopreventive effects of EGCG as well as green tea extract and underlying molecular mechanisms. The first part of this review summarizes groundbreaking topics with EGCG and green tea extract: 1) Delayed cancer onset as revealed by a 10-year prospective cohort study, 2) Prevention of colorectal adenoma recurrence by a double-blind randomized clinical phase II trial, 3) Inhibition of metastasis of B16 melanoma cells to the lungs of mice, 4) Increase in the average value of Young's moduli, i.e., cell stiffness, for human lung cancer cell lines and inhibition of cell motility and 5) Synergistic enhancement of anticancer activity against human cancer cell lines with the combination of EGCG and anticancer compounds. In the second part, we became interested in cancer stem cells (CSCs). 1) Cancer stem cells in mouse skin carcinogenesis by way of introduction, after which we discuss two subjects from our review on human CSCs reported by other investigators gathered from a search of PubMed, 2) Expression of stemness markers of human CSCs compared with their parental cells, and 3) EGCG decreases or increases the expression of mRNA and protein in human CSCs. On this point, EGCG inhibited self-renewal and expression of pluripotency-maintaining transcription factors in human CSCs. Human CSCs are thus a target for cancer prevention and treatment with EGCG and green tea catechins.