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Lee Swanson Research Update

Green Tea May Play Neuroprotective Role in Parkinson's Patients

January 2008

The antioxidant effects of green tea polyphenols may protect neurons against the detrimental effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), thereby offering potential benefits for patients suffering Parkinson’s disease, according to new research from China.

Scientists in Beijing based their new study on previously successful studies: “Nitric oxide and related pathways are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Our in vitro experiments suggested that green tea polyphenols (GTP) might protect dopamine neurons through inhibition of NO and ROS.”

The current study, conducted in rats, looked at the effects of GTP on inhibiting the death of neurons induced by the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA).

Researchers, led by Baolu Zhao from the Institute of Biophysics, Academia Sinica, Beijing, randomly assigned male Sprague-Dawley rats to one of six groups: control-fed only; control-fed plus 6-OHDA; GTP (150 mg/kg/day) plus 6-OHDA; GTP (450 mg/kg/day) plus 6-OHDA; GTP (150 mg/kg/day) only; GTP (450 mg/kg/day) only.

Green tea contains between 30% and 40% of water-extractable polyphenols. The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tea leaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epicatechin (EC). The mix used in this study contained 50% EGCG, 22% ECG, 18% EGC and 10% EC.

Zhao and co-workers report that green tea polyphenols protected against the toxic effects of 6-OHDA, with the higher dose producing a higher protective effect. Most notable, were the inhibition of increases in ROS and NO levels, and subsequent peroxidation.

"This study shows that, in vivo, GTP partially protected dopaminergic neurons (3.7 times more remaining neuron in GTP-treated than vehicle-treated animals) from 6-OHDA-induced cell death through ROS-NO pathway," wrote the researchers.

Biological Psychiatry 62(12):1353-1362, 2007

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