The In Vivo Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Actions of Selected Chinese Teas
Shi-Yu Cao,
Bang-Yan Li,
Ren-You Gan,
Qian-Qian Mao,
Yuan-Feng Wang,
Ao Shang,
Jin-Ming Meng,
Xiao-Yu Xu,
Xin-Lin Wei,
Hua-Bin Li
Affiliations
Shi-Yu Cao
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Bang-Yan Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Ren-You Gan
Research Center for Plants and Human Health, Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610213, China
Qian-Qian Mao
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Yuan-Feng Wang
College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Road, Shanghai 200234, China
Ao Shang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Jin-Ming Meng
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Xiao-Yu Xu
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Xin-Lin Wei
Department of Food Science & Technology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Hua-Bin Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Tea is a popular beverage and shows very strong in vitro antioxidant activity. However, the relationship among in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities in teas is seldom reported. In this study, in vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of 32 selected Chinese teas were evaluated on a mouse model with acute alcohol-induced liver injury. The results showed that most teas significantly reduced the levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, triacylglycerol, and total bilirubin in the sera of mice at a dose of 400 mg/kg. In addition, most teas greatly decreased the malondialdehyde level and increased the levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione in the liver of mice, indicating the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of teas. Furthermore, the in vivo antioxidant activity of dark tea was stronger than that of green tea, opposite to the results of the in vitro study. Among these 32 teas, Black Fu Brick Tea, Pu-erh Tea, and Qing Brick Tea showed the strongest antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities. Moreover, total phenolic content as well as the contents of epicatechin, gallocatechin gallate, and chlorogenic acid were found to contribute, at least partially, to the antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions of these teas. Overall, teas are good dietary components with antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions.
