fine dont wanna aanswer i did my own research..so nana
here ya go..some very cool things about green tea
Curr Med Chem Anti-Canc Agents 2002 Jul;2(4):441-63 Links
Green tea catechins as novel antitumor and antiangiogenic compounds.
Demeule M, Michaud-Levesque J, Annabi B, Gingras D, Boivin D, Jodoin J, Lamy S, Bertrand Y, Beliveau R.
Laboratoire de Medecine Moleculaire, UQAM-Hocric;pital Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada.
[email protected]
The concept of cancer prevention by use of naturally occuring substances that could be included in the diet is under investigation as a practical approach towards reducing cancer incidence, and therefore the mortality and morbidity associated with this disease. Tea, which is the most popularly consumed beverage aside from water, has been particularly associated with decreased risk of various proliferative diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis in humans. Various studies have provided evidence that polyphenols are the strongest biologically active agents in green tea. Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) mainly consist of catechins (3-flavanols), of which (-)-epigallocatechin gallate is the most abundant and the most extensively studied. Recent observations have raised the possibility that green tea catechins, in addition to their antioxidative properties, also affect the molecular mechanisms involved in angiogenesis, extracellular matrix degradation, regulation of cell death and multidrug resistance. This article will review the effects and the biological activities of green tea catechins in relation to these mechanisms, each of which plays a crucial role in the development of cancer in humans. The extraction of polyphenols from green tea, as well as their bioavailability, are also discussed since these two important parameters affect blood and tissue levels of the GTPs and consequently their biological activities. In addition, general perspectives on the application of dietary GTPs as novel antiangiogenic and antitumor compounds are also presented.
PMID: 12678730 [PubMed - in process]
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Drug News Perspect 2002 Sep;15(7):432-438 Links
Are Catechins Natural Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors?
Sachinidis A, Hescheler J.
Enhanced activity of tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs) has been implicated as a contributing factor in the development of malignant and nonmalignant proliferative diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Several growth factors traducing mitogenic signals through RTKs are implicated in the development of tumor and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, in recent years many efforts have been made to develop RTK small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of tumor and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, catechins, the main compounds of green tea leafs, have been identified as potent natural inhibitors of several RTKs. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that catechins possess antiangiogenic properties. In summary, several animal and cell culture studies suggest that catechins are potential candidates for the clinical therapy of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. (c) 2002 Prous Science. All rights reserved.
PMID: 12677178 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Protective effect of green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate and other antioxidants on lipid peroxidation in gerbil brain homogenates.
Lee SR, Im KJ, Suh SI, Jung JG.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Brain Research Institute, Keimyung University, Taegu, South Korea.
The aim of this study was to compare the protective effects of green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and other well-known antioxidants on the lipid peroxidation in gerbil brain homogenates. Oxidative stress was induced by H(2)O(2) (10 mM) or ferrous ammonium sulfate (5 micro M) and lipid peroxidation was studied. Hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ions are capable of oxidizing a wide range of substrates and causing biological damage. The reaction, referred to as the Fenton process, is complex and can generate both hydroxyl radicals and higher oxidation states of the iron. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) were used as a marker of lipid peroxidation. EGCG, trolox, lipoic acid, and melatonin reduced H(2)O(2)- or ferrous ion-induced lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependant manner. In reducing the H(2)O(2)-induced lipid peroxidation, IC(50) values of antioxidants were as follows: EGCG (0.66 micro M), trolox (37.08 micro M), lipoic acid (7.88 mM), and melatonin (19.11 mM). In reducing the ferrous ion-induced lipid peroxidation, IC50 values of antioxidants were as follows: EGCG (3.32 micro M), trolox (75.65 micro M), lipoic acid (7.63 mM), and melatonin (15.48 mM). Under the in vitro conditions of this experiment, EGCG was the most potent antioxidant in inhibiting H(2)O(2) or ferrous ion-induced lipid peroxidation in the gerbil brain homogenates. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of green tea polyphenols on dopamine uptake and on MPP+ -induced dopamine neuron injury.
Pan T, Fei J, Zhou X, Jankovic J, Le W.
Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
As antioxidants, polyphenols are considered to be potentially useful in preventing chronic diseases in man, including Parkinson's disease (PD), a disease involving dopamine (DA) neurons. Our studies have demonstrated that polyphenols extracted from green tea (GT) can inhibit the uptake of 3H-dopamine (3H-DA) and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) by DA transporters (DAT) and partially protect embryonic rat mesencephalic dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons from MPP(+)-induced injury. The inhibitory effects of GT polyphenols on 3H-DA uptake were determined in DAT-pCDNA3-transfected Chinese Hamster Ovary (DAT-CHO) cells and in striatal synaptosomes of C57BL/6 mice in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effects on 3H-MPP(+) uptake were determined in primary cultures of embryonic rat mesencephalic DAergic cells. Inhibition of uptake for both 3H-DA and 3H-MPP(+) was dose-dependent in the presence of polyphenols. Incubation with 50 microM MPP(+) resulted in a significant loss of tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells in the primary embryonic mesencephalic cultures, while pretreatment with polyphenols (10 to 30 microg/ml) or mazindol (10 microM), a classical DAT inhibitor, significantly attenuated MPP(+)-induced loss of TH-positive cells. These results suggest that GT polyphenols have inhibitory effects on DAT, through which they block MPP(+) uptake and protect DAergic neurons against MPP(+)-induced injury.
PMID: 12495785 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]