Frontiers in Pharmacology (Feb 2021)

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate, the Main Polyphenol in Green Tea, Inhibits Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus In Vitro

  • Changchao Huan,
  • Changchao Huan,
  • Changchao Huan,
  • Weiyin Xu,
  • Weiyin Xu,
  • Weiyin Xu,
  • Bo Ni,
  • Tingting Guo,
  • Haochun Pan,
  • Haochun Pan,
  • Haochun Pan,
  • Luyao Jiang,
  • Luyao Jiang,
  • Luyao Jiang,
  • Lin Li,
  • Lin Li,
  • Lin Li,
  • Jingting Yao,
  • Jingting Yao,
  • Jingting Yao,
  • Song Gao,
  • Song Gao,
  • Song Gao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.628526
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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There are currently no licensed drugs against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), but vaccines are available. We identified a natural molecule, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main polyphenol in green tea, which is effective against infection with PEDV. We used a variety of methods to test its effects on PEDV in Vero cells. Our experiments show that EGCG can effectively inhibit PEDV infections (with HLJBY and CV777 strains) at different time points in the infection using western blot analysis. We found that EGCG inhibited PEDV infection in a dose-dependent manner 24 h after the infection commenced using western blotting, plaque formation assays, immunofluorescence assays (IFAs), and quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). We discovered that EGCG treatment of Vero cells decreased PEDV attachment and entry into them by the same method analysis. Western blotting also showed that PEDV replication was inhibited by EGCG treatment. Whereas EGCG treatment was found to inhibit PEDV assembly, it had no effect on PEDV release. In summary, EGCG acts against PEDV infection by inhibiting PEDV attachment, entry, replication, and assembly.

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