• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.7-10
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• 2007

Theaflavins (TF) and thearubigins (TR) were separated from Korean microbially fermented tea leaves. Contents of TF (74.4 $\mu$M/g) and TR (37.2%) were higher than reported for black tea fermented by oxidase. Antioxidant activities of TF, TR and EGCG were analyzed and protective effects of COS-7 cells against copper and cadmium-induced toxicity were investigated. TF and TR exhibited good inhibition rates of about 85$\sim$90% for antioxidant and scavenging activities of free radicals and protected COS-7 cells against apoptosis or damage caused by stress, such as cadmium and copper-oxidative injury, free radicals etc. These results indicate that TF, TR and EGCG have antioxidant and scavenging activities against free radicals and protect COS-7 cells from Cu, Cd induced injury.