Green Tea Polyphenolic Compounds and Human Health

Polyphenols are a structurally diverse group of compounds that occur widely throughout the plant kingdom. Polyphenolic compounds are ubiquitous in all plant organs and are, therefore, an integral part of the human diet. Recent interest in food phenolics has increased greatly because of the antioxidant and free radical-scavenging abilities associated with some phenolics and their potential effects on human health. Most of the polyphenols in green tea are commonly known as catechins. The regular consumption of green tea is related to benefits in some diseases as atherosclerosis and cancer. Although consumption of dietary polyphenols such as flavonoids has been suggested to have beneficial biological effects, there are considerable evidences to suggest that such compounds are not without risk of adverse effects.     

Molecular mechanisms of green tea polyphenols with protective effects against skin photoaging

Whereas green tea has historically been consumed in high quantities in Northeast Asia, its popularity is also increasing in many Western countries. Green tea is an abundant source of plant polyphenols exhibiting numerous effects that are potentially beneficial for human health. Accumulating evidence suggests that green tea polyphenols confer protective effects on the skin against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced acceleration of skin aging, involving antimelanogenic, antiwrinkle, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects as well as prevention of immunosuppression. Melanin pigmentation in the skin is a major defense mechanism against UV irradiation, but pigmentation abnormalities such as melasma, freckles, senile lentigines, and other forms of melanin hyperpigmentation can also cause serious health and aesthetic issues. Furthermore, UV irradiation initiates the degradation of fibrillar collagen and elastic fibers, promoting the process of skin aging through deep wrinkle formation and loss of tissue elasticity. UV irradiation-induced formation of free radicals also contributes to accelerated photoaging. Additionally, immunosuppression caused by UV irradiation plays an important role in photoaging and skin carcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding the antimelanogenic, antiwrinkle, antioxidant, and immunosuppression preventive mechanisms of green tea polyphenols that have been demonstrated to protect against UV irradiation-stimulated skin photoaging, and gauge the quality of evidence supporting the need for clinical studies using green tea polyphenols as anti-photoaging agents in novel cosmeceuticals.     

Composition and antioxidant capacity of a novel beverage produced with green tea and minimally-processed byproducts of broccoli

Organic green tea, one of the most-consumed beverages worldwide, is rich in bioactive compounds (flavonols and flavanols) with healthy properties. Broccoli byproducts, consisting of leaves and stalks, are rich in bioactive compounds, including nitrogen–sulphur compounds (glucosinolates and isothiocyanates) and phenolics (chlorogenic and sinapic acid derivatives, and flavonoids), as well as essential nutrients (minerals and vitamins). They are of high interest as a source of health-promoting compounds, useful as ingredients for the development of functional foods. This work analyses minimally-processed broccoli byproducts as a source of bioactive ingredients to design novel beverages, using organic green tea as a food matrix. Green tea enriched with broccoli concentrates showed improved physical quality, phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity. The functional quality of these novel beverages depends on the proportion of broccoli extracts added to the green tea. The results obtained in the present work should encourage the use of broccoli byproducts as ingredients in novel functional foods.

Industrial relevance

The industrial use of broccoli byproducts as an ingredient in the development of novel, functional foods may help to add value to the large amount of plant wastes generated in every cropping season, thus reducing their environmental impact. The objectives and aims of the EU producers, industry and stakeholders on the relationships between foods, nutrition and health, and therefore, the use of suitable ingredients from the agriculture to have impact on human health and the environment, with a sustainable use of natural resources are in agreement with this work, adding value to broccoli byproducts and encouraging the production of novel products and applications for nutritional and/or health claims under the EU Regulations (EC) No. 1924/2006 and 834/2007.     

不同品种名优绿茶理化品质及挥发性成分分析

为探究不同品种名优绿茶各理化成分、挥发性香气成分差异,通过各组分与绿茶品种进行相关性分析,最终确定可以在一定程度上反应不同绿茶品种的代表性成分,本文以安吉白茶、碧螺春、龙井三种不同品种绿茶为研究对象,采用福林酚比色法、茚三酮比色法和GC-MS联用测定其茶多酚、游离氨基酸以及挥发性香气成分,并通过相对含量对三种名优绿茶进行识别。结果表明,不同品种的绿茶理化成分具有一定差异,其中茶多酚、酚氨比、抗坏血酸、表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(Epigallocatechin gallate,EGCG)、酯型儿茶素与非酯型儿茶素的比值均有显著差异性(P<0.05),且对三种绿茶感官品质均有显著相关性,其中酚氨比(r=-0.942)、抗坏血酸的相关性最为显著(r=0.955)。茶叶中的香气物质成分繁多复杂,且不同成分对茶叶的香气有不同的香气贡献。实验提取了20种共同挥发性成分,其中醇类化合物、酮类和醛类化合物大部分具有花香和清香等香型特征,在绿茶成分中含量较高。因此,确定茶多酚、酚氨比、抗坏血酸、酯型儿茶素与非酯型儿茶素的比值和20种共同挥发性成分种物质作为与绿茶品质密切相关的"标识因子"。     

Green tea and prevention of esophageal and lung cancers

Green tea contains high concentrations of tea polyphenols that have shown inhibitory effects against the development, progress, and growth of carcinogen-induced tumors in animal models at different organ sites, including the esophagus and lung. Green tea polyphenols also have shown to suppress cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. Besides antioxidative property, green tea polyphenols have pro-oxidative activities under certain conditions and modulate phase II metabolic enzymes that can enhance the detoxification pathway of environmental toxicants and carcinogens. Although epidemiological studies have provided inconclusive results on the effect of green tea consumption against the development of esophageal and lung cancers in humans overall, the inverse association between green tea intake and risk of esophageal cancer risk is more consistently observed in studies with adequate control for potential confounders. Epidemiological studies also have demonstrated an inverse, albeit moderate, association between green tea consumption and lung cancer, especially in non-smokers. This article reviews data on the cancer-preventive activities of green tea extract and green tea polyphenols and possible mechanisms against the esophageal and lung carcinogenesis in experimental animals, and summarizes the current knowledge from epidemiological studies on the relationship between green tea consumption and esophageal and lung cancer risk in humans.     

The role of antioxidant versus pro-oxidant effects of green tea polyphenols in cancer prevention

Consumption of green tea (Camellia sinensis) may provide protection against chronic diseases, including cancer. Green tea polyphenols are believed to be responsible for this cancer preventive effect, and the antioxidant activity of the green tea polyphenols has been implicated as a potential mechanism. This hypothesis has been difficult to study in vivo due to metabolism of these compounds and poor understanding of the redox environment in vivo. Green tea polyphenols can be direct antioxidants by scavenging reactive oxygen species or chelating transition metals as has been demonstrated in vitro. Alternatively, they may act indirectly by upregulating phase II antioxidant enzymes. Evidence of this latter effect has been observed in vivo, yet more work is required to determine under which conditions these mechanisms occur. Green tea polyphenols can also be potent pro-oxidants, both in vitro and in vivo, leading to the formation of hydrogen peroxide, the hydroxyl radical, and superoxide anion. The potential role of these pro-oxidant effects in the cancer preventive activity of green tea is not well understood. The evidence for not only the antioxidant, but also pro-oxidant, properties of green tea is discussed in the present review.     

White and Green Teas (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis): Variation in Phenolic,Methylxanthine, and Antioxidant Profiles

Abstract: Recent investigations have associated white teas with anti-carcinogenic, immune-boosting, and antioxidative properties that may impact human health in a manner comparable to green teas. An in-depth chemical analysis of white tea types was conducted to quantify polyphenols and antioxidant potential of 8 commercially available white teas, and compare them to green tea. Extraction and HPLC protocols were optimized and validated for the quantification of 9 phenolic and 3 methylxanthine compounds to examine inter- and intra-variation in white and green tea types and subtypes. A sampling strategy was devised to assess various subtypes procured from different commercial sources. Variation in antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) of both tea types was further assessed by the 1-1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Folin–Ciocalteau (F–C) assays, respectively. Total catechin content (TCC) for white teas ranged widely from 14.40 to 369.60 mg/g of dry plant material for water extracts and 47.16 to 163.94 mg/g for methanol extracts. TCC for green teas also ranged more than 10-fold, from 21.38 to 228.20 mg/g of dry plant material for water extracts and 32.23 to 141.24 mg/g for methanol extracts. These findings indicate that statements suggesting a hierarchical order of catechin content among tea types are inconclusive and should be made with attention to a sampling strategy that specifies the tea subtype and its source. Certain white teas have comparable quantities of total catechins to some green teas, but lesser antioxidant capacity, suggesting that white teas have fewer non-catechin antioxidants present. Practical Application: In this investigation white and green teas were extracted in ways that mimic common tea preparation practices, and their chemical profiles were determined using validated analytical chemistry methods. The results suggest certain green and white tea types have comparable levels of catechins with potential health promoting qualities. Specifically, the polyphenolic content of green teas was found to be similar to certain white tea varieties, which makes the latter tea type a potential substitute for people interested in consuming polyphenols for health reasons. Moreover, this study is among the first to demonstrate the effect subtype sampling, source of procurement, cultivation, and processing practices have on the final white tea product, as such analysis has previously been mostly carried out on green teas.     

绿茶中多酚物质的抗氧化活性及其在肉制品中的应用研究进展

绿茶自古以来就是人类的重要饮料,在亚洲很多国家广泛饮用并被认为对人体健康具有益处。绿茶酚类化合物作为天然抗氧化剂在食品工业中尤其在肉制品中应用十分广泛且意义重大,加入绿茶提取物产品的抗氧化能力得到有效增强,并且减少了加工和储存保藏期间因氧化反应造成的不良变化,从而延长了保质期。本文首先综述了绿茶中酚类化合物的组成,其次简述了酚类化合物发挥抗氧化活性的抗氧化机制以及其产生的生物活性对人体健康的潜在益处,最后阐述了酚类化合物在肉制品中起到抗氧化、抑菌、护色等作用,并对今后的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Medicinal and therapeutic potentialities of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) – A review

The medicinal effects of tea have a history dating back almost 5000 years. The chemical components of green tea chiefly include polyphenols, caffeine and amino acids. Tea also contains flavonoids, compounds reported to have anti-oxidant properties having many beneficial effects. Tea flavonoids reduce inflammation, have antimicrobial effects and prevent tooth decay. Consumption of tea may have diuretic effects due to the caffeine. A related compound found in tea is theophylline, a licensed medicine for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma. Today’s computer-driven world can generate complicated lifestyle-related disorders and consumption of certain natural product like tea may very well replace the ill-effects of chemical drugs leading to a safer world with happier life. The paper is an overview of revealing all such ethno medicinal research efforts throughout the world over the times.     

Beneficial effects of tea and its polyphenols against prostate cancer

Tea, next to water, is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Depending upon the level of fermentation, tea can be categorized into three types: green (unfermented), oolong (partially fermented), and black (highly to fully fermented). In general, green tea has been found to be superior to black and oolong tea in terms of antioxidant and health promoting benefits owing to the higher content of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Tea polyphenols comprise about one-third of the weight of the dried leaf, and they exhibit biochemical and pharmacological activities including antioxidant activities, inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and modulation of carcinogen metabolism. Several studies demonstrate that most tea polyphenols exert their effects by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) since excessive production of ROS has been implicated in the development of a variety of ailments including cancer of the prostate gland (CaP). Using cell culture and animal model systems, molecular targets for these remarkable beneficial effects of green tea drinking on CaP prevention and therapy have been defined. Geographical and case-control studies are showing that green tea drinking could afford CaP chemopreventive effects in human population. In this review we attempt to summarize the experimental as well as the epidemiological basis for the possible role of tea and its polyphenols for chemoprevention and chemotherapy of CaP.     

普洱茶后发酵过程中多酚类成分生物转化的研究进展

普洱茶产于云南,属于后发酵茶,是我国黑茶的典型代表之一。微生物参与的后发酵过程使晒青毛茶中的多酚类成分发生了一系列复杂的诸如氧化、聚合、缩合、分解等为主的电化学变化,奠定了普洱茶的化学物质基础,赋予了普洱茶特殊的风味品质和保健功效。近年来的研究表明,普洱茶后发酵过程中,在微生物分泌的胞外酶作用下,糖基化、甲基化以及其他类型取代方式的化学结构修饰也是多酚类成分生物转化的重要途径之一,以此形成了众多多酚类成分的化学结构修饰产物。现有研究表明,这些结构修饰产物对普洱茶的风味品质和生物活性产生重要影响,是普洱茶中潜在的重要品质化学成分和标志性成分,具有重要的研究意义。本文综述了普洱茶中多酚类成分化学结构修饰产物的研究进展。     

Bioavailability of Tea Polyphenols

Tea is a pleasant, popular and safe beverage. Tea provides a dietary source of bioactive components to help humans reduce a wide variety of cancer risks and chronic diseases. The antioxidative activity of green tea-derived polypbenols known as catchins has been extensively studied. The reducfive effect is a synergistic action between EGCG,EGC, ECG, EC, pheophytins a and b, and other components in tealeaves, which are more bioavailable for human body.Green tea has a higher content of catechins than black tea. Green tea extract with hot water has high potential and more efficiencytoreducecancerriskthananyotherteaproductsorpureEGCG. Protein, iron, andotherfoodcomponentsmay interfere with the bioavailability of tea polyphenols. Drinkinggreentea (orpolyphenol-rich tea extract ) also enhances the cancer-preventive activity of some cancer-fighting medication such as Sulindac and Tamoxifen. Further studies are required to determine the bioavailability of green tea and cancer-preventive functionality.     

Comparison of the effects of black and green tea on in vitro lipoprotein oxidation in human serum

Lipoprotein oxidation is a process thought to be involved in atherogenesis. Dietary antioxidants that prevent or inhibit oxidative damage to lipoproteins may help to prevent atherosclerosis. Both black and green teas can be major dietary sources of flavonoids and other phenolics with antioxidant activity. Results of previous studies suggest that green tea may have a greater antioxidant potential than black tea. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the effects of black and green tea on in vitro lipoprotein oxidation. The tea extracts were prepared using a method similar to that used to prepare infusions of tea for drinking. Antioxidant activities of seven black teas and four green teas were assessed using an in vitro assay that measures Cu²⁺ ‐induced oxidation of lipoproteins in human serum. All tea extracts inhibited in vitro lipoprotein oxidation in human serum to a similar extent. No significant difference in antioxidant activity was found between black and green tea. Caffeine prepared to a comparable concentration to that found in tea had no effect on lipoprotein oxidation. Further studies are required to determine the importance of these findings in relation to possible protective effects of black and green tea consumption against atherogenesis and cardiovascular disease. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

葡萄渣多酚的分布、生物活性及其在食品中的 应用研究进展

许多水果在加工过程中会产生大量的副产物,如葡萄酒酿造过程中产生的葡萄果渣(grape pomace,GP),由于其中含有丰富的生物活性物质,如多酚、膳食纤维、有机酸和不饱和脂肪酸等,已成为医药、化妆品和食品工业提取植物活性物质的廉价来源。尤其是酚类化合物受到越来越多的关注,葡萄渣中的酚类化合物是一类次生代谢产物,主要包括类黄酮、花青素和白藜芦醇等,很多研究已经证实这些酚类化合物具有抗氧化、抗菌、抗病毒、抗炎和抗癌等生物活性,因此,如何从葡萄渣中提取多酚化合物并将其开发成功能性食品配料,成为越来越多的企业和学者的关注。在此本文对GP多酚的组成分布、生物活性、在食品中的稳定性及其应用等进行了较全面的总结,旨在为葡萄渣多酚功能性食品的开发提供参考。     

利用单宁酶改善绿茶滋味品质的研究

为了利用外源单宁酶改善夏茶滋味品质成分和组成,实验设计了在传统绿茶加工工艺的揉捻工序中,添加不同浓度的外源单宁酶,比较不同处理的成品茶在多酚类物质、儿茶素和氨基酸含量方面的差异,分析单宁酶提高夏季绿茶品质的效果。结果表明:单宁酶处理和对照相比,茶叶中茶多酚总量无显著性差异,但儿茶素的组成变化很大,其中表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(EGCG)明显下降;氨基酸总量有所增加,其中谷氨酸等一些低阈值氨基酸含量增加更为明显。这些成分变化对改善夏季绿茶滋味有积极意义,在夏茶加工中添加外源单宁酶可以在一定程度上降低苦涩味,从而提高茶汤的鲜醇度。     

牛奶对茶汤纳米聚集体茶多酚分布特性的影响

茶汤纳米聚集体是茶多酚和蛋白质等自组装而成的纳米胶粒,是各组分介于游离分子与沉淀颗粒的中间状态。为探究牛奶对茶汤茶多酚分布特性的影响,本研究以云南大叶种蒸青绿茶、红茶为原料,以1:50茶水比浸提茶汤,按不同比例添加全脂、半脱脂和脱脂牛奶,利用超滤离心技术分离茶汤纳米聚集体,采用动态光散射技术分析各组茶汤纳米聚集体的总光强和平均直径,采用福林酚法分析其茶多酚浓度和分布率,比较研究牛奶添加比例、脂肪含量和茶类等因素对纳米聚集体物理化学特性和茶多酚分布特性的影响。结果表明:添加不同脂肪含量的牛奶均会促使部分牛奶纳米胶粒与茶汤纳米聚集体结合,导致茶汤超过90%的茶多酚富集于纳米聚集体,使绿茶和红茶的游离茶多酚比例分别降低78%和67%。初步证实:添加牛奶会促进绿茶、红茶的茶多酚参与分子聚集,使游离茶多酚比例大幅降低。     

超滤膜分离对绿茶茶水处理效果的影响

研究了超滤膜对绿茶茶水的分离效果 ,为超滤分离技术应用于绿茶饮料和茶多酚的工业生产提供了有关依据。研究结果表明 ,截留分子量小于 2 0 0 0 0的超滤膜 ,对茶水中的固形物、茶多酚的截留率分别高达 89%、 87% ;截留分子量高于 10 0 0 0 0的超滤膜可有效截留茶水中的大分子蛋白质和果胶类物质 ,改善了茶水的溶液特性 ,有利于茶多酚的工业生产 ;操作温度对茶水的超滤效果有显著影响。     

Green Extraction Methods for Polyphenols from Plant Matrices and Their Byproducts: A Review

Polyphenols as phytochemicals have gained significant importance owing to several associated health benefits with regard to lifestyle diseases and oxidative stress. To date, the development of a single standard method for efficient and rapid extraction of polyphenols from plant matrices has remained a challenge due to the inherent limitations of various conventional extraction methods. The exploitation of polyphenols as bioactive compounds at various commercial levels has motivated scientists to explore more eco‐friendly, efficient, and cost‐effective extraction techniques, based on a green extraction approach. The current review aims to provide updated technical information about extraction mechanisms, their advantages and disadvantages, and factors affecting efficiencies, and also presents a comparative overview of applications of the following modern green extraction techniques—supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasound‐assisted extraction, microwave‐assisted extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, and pressurized hot water extraction—as alternatives to conventional extraction methods for polyphenol extraction. These techniques are proving to be promising for the extraction of thermolabile phenolic compounds due to their advantages over conventional, time‐consuming, and laborious extraction techniques, such as reduced solvent use and time and energy consumption and higher recovery rates with lower operational costs. The growing interest in plant‐derived polyphenols prompts continual search for green and economically feasible modern extraction techniques. Modern green extraction techniques represent promising approaches by virtue of overcoming current limitations to the exploitation of polyphenols as bioactive compounds to explore their wide‐reaching applications on an industrial scale and in emerging global markets. Future research is needed in order to remove the technical barriers to scale‐up the processes for industrial needs by increasing our understanding and improving the design of modern extraction operations.