Epigallocatechin gallate promotes GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle

In this study, we investigated whether epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) affects glucose uptake activity and the translocation of insulin-sensitive glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 in skeletal muscle. A single oral administration of EGCg at 75 mg/kg body weight promoted GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle of rats. EGCg significantly increased glucose uptake accompanying GLUT4 translocation in L6 myotubes at 1 nM. The translocation of GLUT4 was also observed both in skeletal muscle of mice and rats ex vivo and in insulin-resistant L6 myotubes. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase, inhibited both EGCg- and insulin-increased glucose uptakes, while genistein, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, failed to inhibit the EGCg-increased uptake. Therefore, EGCg may improve hyperglycemia by promoting GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle with partially different mechanism from insulin.     

Promotion of Neuronal Plasticity by (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate

The consumption of (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenolic compound found in green tea, has been associated with various neurological benefits including cognitive improvement. The physiological basis for this effect is unknown. In this study, we used synaptic transmission between the CA3 and CA1 regions (Schaffer collateral) of the mouse hippocampus to examine the effects of EGCG on neuronal plasticity. We found that the level of high frequency stimulation-evoked long-term potentiation (LTP) was significantly enhanced when hippocampal slices were pre-incubated with 10 μM EGCG for 1 h prior to the experiment. EGCG incubation also enabled hippocampal slices prepared from Ts65Dn mice, a Down syndrome mouse model deficient in LTP, to express LTP to a level comparable to the normal controls. EGCG treatment did not alter the degree of pair-pulse inhibition; therefore, the enhancement effect of EGCG is unlikely to involve the attenuation of this inhibitory mechanism.     

Tea flavanols inhibit cell growth and DNA topoisomerase II activity and induce endoreduplication in cultured Chinese hamster cells

Tea polyphenols are promising chemopreventive anticancer agents, the properties of which have been studied both in vitro and in vivo, providing evidence that – within this group of compounds – the tea flavanols are able to inhibit carcinogenesis, an effect that in some cases could be correlated with increased cell apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation. Of four main tea flavanols, namely (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (+)-catechin (CA) and (−)-epicatechin (EC), it was found that EGCG was the most potent to inhibit dose dependently the topoisomerase II (TOPO II) catalytic activity isolated from hamster ovary AA8 cells. In the range of concentrations that caused TOPO II inhibition, a high level of endoreduplication, a rare phenomenon that consists in two successive rounds of DNA replication without intervening mitosis, was observed, while neither micronuclei nor DNA strand breaks (Comet assay) were detected at the same doses. We propose that the anticarcinogenic effect of tea flavanols can be partly explained by their potency and effectiveness to induce endoreduplication. Concerning such an induction, maximum effect seems to require a pyrogallol structure at the B-ring. Additional substitution with a galloylic residue at the C3 hydroxyl group leads to further augmentation of the effect. Thus, we suggest that the chemopreventive properties of tea flavanols can be at least partly due to their ability to interfere with the cell cycle and block cell proliferation at early stages of mitosis.     

Mechanism for the detoxification of aluminum in roots of tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze)

To determine the mechanism of aluminum (Al) detoxification in the roots of tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze), the amounts of Al and Al-chelating compounds (fluoride (F), organic acids and catechins) were measured and the chemical forms of Al in root cell extracts were identified by the application of 27Al-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Tea plants were cultivated in nutrient solutions containing 0, 4, 1.0 and 4.0 mM of Al at pH 4.2 for approximately 10 weeks. The levels of soluble Al, water-soluble oxalate and citrate, but not F, malate or catechins in young roots increased with an increase in the concentration of Al in the treatment solution. The 27Al NMR spectra of root tips and cell sap extracted from root tips that had been treated with Al were almost identical and had four signals, with two (11 and 16 ppm) apparently corresponding to the known chemical shifts of Al-oxalate complexes. In the spectra of cell sap, the resonances at 11 and 16 ppm increased with an increase in the Al contents. These results suggest that the levels of Al-oxalate complexes increased in response to an increase in the Al level, implying that oxalate is a key Al-chelating compound in the mechanism of Al detoxification in the tea root.     

云南茶树上的附生地衣

对云南茶叶农场中的附生地衣进行调查发现: 附生在茶树上的地衣有25 属, 51 种; 其中, 45 种是首次报道附生在茶树上, 包括2 个中国新记录种: 癞屑衣( Lepraria lobificans) 和阿曼原胚衣( Protoblastenia amagiensis) , 以及20 个云南新分布种。壳状地衣的共生菌丝侵入茶叶树干外皮层组织, 在生长过程中产生地衣酸, 一定程度的加速了农场中茶树的老化; 靠近茶树发芽点生长的壳状地衣和叶状地衣, 造成芽体发育不良, 对茶叶的产量和品质有一定影响。     

Phenolic composition and medicinal usage of Psidium guajava Linn.: Antifungal activity or inhibition of virulence?

Psidium guajava is a Myrtaceae plant whose medicinal properties are recognized in several locations. The use of teas and tinctures prepared from their leaves has been used to combat infections caused by fungi of the genus Candida. In this study, aqueous extracts of leaves and hydroethanolic were tested to verify the antifungal potential and its chemical composition has been investigated. The microbiological assays were performed by broth microdilution to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and from these the minimum fungicidal concentration was performed (MFC) by subculturing on solid media. A cell viability curve was obtained for demonstration of inhibition of fungal growth of strains of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. Tests to check morphological changes by the action of the extracts were performed in microcultive cameras depleted environment at concentrations of MIC/2, MIC and MIC × 2. Extracts analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography demonstrated flavonoids and phenolic acids. The extracts showed fungistatic effect and no fungicide with MIC >8192 μg/mL, MFC above 8192 μg/mL. The IC₅₀ was calculated ranging from 1803.02 to 5623.41 μg/mL. It has been found that the extracts affect the morphological transition capability, preventing the formation of pseudohyphae and hyphae. Teas and tinctures, therefore, have the potential antifungal, by direct contact, causing inhibition of fungal multiplication and its virulence factor, the cell dimorphism, preventing tissue invasion. Further studies are needed to elucidate the biochemical pathways and genes assets involved in these processes.     

Coffee and tea consumption and risk of leukaemia in an adult population: A reanalysis of the Italian multicentre case-control study

BackgroundCoffee and tea are the most frequently consumed beverages in the world. Their potential effect on the risk of developing different types of malignancies has been largely investigated, but studies on leukaemia in adults are scarce.MethodsThe present investigation is aimed at evaluating the potential role of regular coffee and tea intake on the risk of adult leukaemia by reanalysing a large population based case-control study carried out in Italy, a country with a high coffee consumption and a low use of green tea. Interviewed subjects, recruited between 1990 and 1993 in 11 Italian areas, included 1771 controls and 651 leukaemia cases. Association between Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia, Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia, Chronic Lymphoid Leukaemia, and use of coffee and tea was evaluated by standard logistic regression. Odds Ratios (OR) were estimated adjusting for the following potential confounders: gender, age, residence area, smoking habit, educational level, previous chemotherapy treatment, alcohol consumption and exposure to electromagnetic fields, radiation, pesticides and aromatic hydrocarbons.ResultsNo association was observed between regular use of coffee and any type of leukaemia. A small protective effect of tea intake was found among myeloid malignancies, which was more evident among AML (OR = 0.68, 95%CI: 0.49–0.94). However, no clear dose-response relation was found.ConclusionThe lower risk of leukaemia among regular coffee consumers, reported by a few of previous small studies, was not confirmed. The protective effect of tea on the AML risk is only partly consistent with results from other investigations.     

双液相系统酶化学技术制取茶色素

应用双液相酶化学技术研究茶色素的形成与制取,并以单液（水）相系统进行茶多酚酶促氧化制取茶色素为对照,引入氧载体后,构成了双液相酶化学氧化系统,对其中溶解氧浓度,PPO活性,TFs,TRs含量的变化和HPLC图谱等分析研究,制品中TFs的HPLC图谱可知：TOP－1中TFs的峰高和峰面积均高于TOP－2制品中TFs,尤以TFG与TFDG较高,TOP－1制品中儿茶素类残留量较对照少,尤其是简单儿茶素的列留量（如DL－C（－）－EC）少得更多。     

贵州老鹰茶的化学成分

老鹰茶也称“白茶” ,是我国南方各民族民间长期饮用的一种植物代用茶 ,有防馊、防腐、消暑解渴、消食化积、解毒、消肿、明目、健胃、益思的作用 ,饮后能清凉、去暑、解毒、健脾胃、助消化、顺气、利尿、解表等[1～ 5] 。而且是一种无毒副作用、无污染、风味较佳的纯天然野生饮品。民间更多是以老鹰茶和苦丁茶合用 ,解暑效果更好。对苦丁茶的资源及化学成分已有较多报道[6 ,7] ,但对老鹰茶的资源和化学成分未见详细报道。为此对贵州老鹰茶的化学成分进行了研究。贵州老鹰茶原植物主要为毛豹皮樟〔ＬｉｔｓｅａｃｏｒｅａｎａＬ啨ｖｌ.ｖａ…     

模拟酸雨胁迫对茶树幼苗生长和光合生理的影响

茶是世界三大饮料之一,并且茶树在中国被广泛种植。酸雨是中国乃至全球面临的主要环境问题,本研究选用一年生茶树幼苗作为实验材料,品种为湘妃翠,采用盆栽的方法培养,通过模拟pH值2.5、pH值3.5、pH值4.5酸雨以及自来水(pH值6.5)作为对照对茶树进行全喷淋,探究模拟酸雨对茶树幼苗生长状况和光合生理的影响。结果表明pH值4.5模拟酸雨对茶树幼苗生长有一定促进作用,pH值2.5模拟酸雨对茶树幼苗生长具有抑制作用。茶树幼苗SPAD值(叶绿素相对含量)、以及叶绿素荧光参数Fv/Fm(PSⅡ最大光能转换率)、Fv/Fo(PSⅡ潜在活性)在pH值2.5酸雨胁迫下与对照组相比都显著降低,Fo(初始荧光产量)则显著增大。由此说明pH值2.5模拟酸雨对茶树幼苗具有较强的胁迫作用,pH值4.5模拟酸雨对茶树幼苗生长有促进作用。