Green tea

1. What is Green tea extract?

Green tea extract is a natural oil and water soluble extract from green tea (Camelia sinensis).
Green tea extract is a free flowing, non – GMO, non – allergen, beige to brown powder with purity up to 50 % of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as main active ingredient.

2. What are catechins?

Catechins are polyphenolic antioxidant plant metabolites, specifically flavonoids called flavan-3-ols. Although present in numerous plant species, the largest source in the human diet is from various teas derived from the tea-plant Camellia sinensis. Catechin and epicatechin are epimers, with (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin being the most common optical isomers found in nature. Epigallocatechin and gallocatechin contain an additional phenolic hydroxyl group when compared to epicatechin and catechin, respectively. Catechin gallates are gallic acid esters of the catechins; such as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is commonly the most abundant catechin in tea (16).

3. Chemistry of catechins

Catechin: R1=H, R2=OH
Epicatechin: R1=H, R2=OH

Epicatechin gallate (ECG): R1=H, R2=O-galoil
                                                              Epigallocatechin: R1=OH, R2=OH
                                                              Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG): R1=OH,
                                                              R2=O-galoil

Figure 1: Green tea catechins structure (16).

Green tea extract contains up to 50 % of epigallocatechin gallate as main active ingredient in green tea extract identified and controlled by HPLC test method.
Green tea extract is of beige colour and in powder form.

4. Role of Green tea extract in health

Existing uses of green tea extract, and usages proposed on the basis of solid medical research, include:

• Memory and learning improvement: green tea extract administration was effective in enhancing learning and memory in aged rats, and hence, may serve useful in reversing age-related deficits (1).
• Green tea extract may improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profile and alter the expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis (2). These findings show that nutritional doses of green tea extract may improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profile and alter the expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis.
• Green tea extract should be used as supplement for prevention against hypertension, cardiovascular damage and endothelial dysfunction (3, 10). In study performed by Antonello et al. the effect of green tea extract in arterial hypertension with high oxidative stress was investigated. The green tea extract prevented hypertension and target organ damage induced by a high Angiotensin II dose, likely by prevention or scavenging of superoxide anion generation.
• Green tea extract posses strong antioxidant properties (4, 6, 7). The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay and the total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay were measured by Tomer at al. Green tea polyphenols had the highest overall antioxidant activity of the 11 phytochemicals measured.
• Catechins from green tea extract reduce hemodialysis-induced production of hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid, atherosclerotic disease risk factors, and proinflammation (5).
• Green tea extract showed antidiabetic, antiobesity, and anti-inflammatory activities in animal models (8). Study by Cao et al. shows that green tea extract at 1 or 2 g/kg diet regulates gene expression in the glucose uptake and insulin signaling pathway in rats fed a fructose-rich diet.
• Combination of capsaicin, green tea extract, and chicken essence may be a beneficial food ingredient improving human autonomic nervous activities, particulary thermogenic sympathetic activity as a modulator of energy metabolism without any adverse effects on cardiac electrical stability (9).
• A green tea extract contributes to a decrease in obesity and help at body weight management (10, 11, 12, 14, 17). In study by Nagao et al. the body fat reducing effect and reduction of risks for cardiovascular disease by a green tea extract high in catechins was investigated in humans with typical lifestyles. The continuous ingestion of a green tea extract high in catechins led to a reduction in body fat, systolic blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol, suggesting that the ingestion of such an extract contributes to a decrease in obesity and cardiovascular disease risks.
• Green tea extract may have antimalarial properties (13). Study by Sanella shows that a crude extract of green tea as well as two of its main constituents, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG), strongly inhibit Plasmodium falciparum growth in vitro.
• Green tea extract inhibits breast cancer growth by a direct anti-proliferative effect on the tumor cells, as well as by indirect suppressive effects on the tumor-associated endothelial cells (15).

5. Anti-oxidant activity ORAC value

The ORAC analysis provides a measure of the scavenging capacity of antioxidants against the peroxyl radical, which is one of the most common reactive oxygen species (ROS) found in the body. Trolox, a water-soluble vitamin E analog, is used as the calibration standard and the ORAC result is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent (TE) per gram.
The following figure shows ORAC Value of Green tea extract (50 % polyphenols / 25-30 % catechins, including EGCG) in comparison to vitamin C (100 % pure), vitamin E (90 % ot total tocopherols) and dried fruits and vegetables (18).
(mouse over the white line below for the graph).

6. Key benefits of Green tea extract

Green tea extract has been recognized for providing many benefits in before mentioned applications:

• improvement of food products, cosmetic products, nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical products by retarding oxidation
• natural antioxidant in the body – can be used in food supplements and nutraceuticals
• 100 % natural product
• GMO free
• allergen free

7. Green tea extract applications

Green tea extract products have several outstanding features and should be utilized in the following applications:

• nutraceutical industry
• various dietary supplements
• cosmetic industry
• antioxidative stabilization of skin and hair creams
• enhancing the anti-aging properties of skin creams and more.
• food industry
• meat and meat products
• snacks
• breakfast cereals, energy bars and more

8. References

1.Kaur T. et al., Effects of green tea extract on learning, memory, behavior and acetylcholinesterase activity in young and old male rats, Brain Cogn., Dec 2007.

2.Serisier S. et al., Effects of green tea on insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and expression of PPARalpha and PPARgamma and their target genes in obese dogs, Br J Nutr., Dec 2007, 1-9.

3.Antonello M. et al., Prevention of hypertension, cardiovascular damage and endothelial dysfunction with green tea extracts, Am J Hypertens, Dec 2007, 20(12), 1321-1328.

4.Farris P., Idebenone, green tea, and Coffeeberry(R) extract: new and innovative antioxidants, Dermatol Ther., Sept-Oct 2007, 20(5), 322-329.

5.Hsu S.P. et al., Chronic green tea extract supplementation reduces hemodialysis-enhanced production of hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid, atherosclerotic factors, and proinflammatory cytokines, Am J Clin Nutr., Nov 2007, 86(5), 1539-1547.

6.Ojo O.O. et al., Studies of the antioxidative effects of green and black tea (Camellia sinensis) extracts in rats, J Med Food., Jun 2007, 10(2), 345-349.

7.Tomer D.P. et al., Comparison of the total oxyradical scavenging capacity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity antioxidant assays, J Med Food., Jun 2007, 10(2), 337-344.

8.Cao H. et al., Green tea polyphenol extract regulates the expression of genes involved in glucose uptake and insulin signaling in rats fed a high fructose diet, J Agric Food Chem., Jul 2007, 55(15), 6372-6378.

9.Shin K.O. and Moritani T., The combined effects of capsaicin, green tea extract and chicken essence tablets on human autonomic nervous system activity, J Nutr Sci Vitaminol., Apr 2007, 53(2), 145-152.

10.Nagao T. et al., A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans, Obesity (Silver Spring), Jun 2007, 15(6), 1473-1483.

11.Katzman M.A. et al., Weight gain and psychiatric treatment: Is there a role for green tea and conjugated linoleic acid?, Lipids Health Dis., May 2007, 6, 14.

12.Moon H.S. et al., Proposed mechanisms of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate for anti-obesity, Chem Biol Interact., Apr 2007, 167(2), 85-98.

13.Sannella A.R. et al., Antimalarial properties of green tea, Biochem Biophys Res Commun., Feb 2007, 353(1), 177-181.

14.Opala T. et al., Efficacy of 12 weeks supplementation of a botanical extract-based weight loss formula on body weight, body composition and blood chemistry in healthy, overweight subjects--a

randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, Eur J Med Res., Aug 2006, 11(8), 343-350.

15.Sartippour M.R., et al., The combination of green tea and tamoxifen is effective against breast cancer, Carcinogenesis., Dec 2006, 27(12), 2424-2433.

16.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicatechin

17.http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweightloss/a/greentea.htm

18.http://www.acaiberryjuice.org/orac.htm

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