Green tea extract containing a highly absorbent catechin prevents diet-induced lipid metabolism disorder

Sci Rep. 2013 Sep 25:3:2749. doi: 10.1038/srep02749.

Abstract

We investigated the effects of extracts of Benifuuki (a tea cultivar that contains methylated catechins such as epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl) gallate (EGCG3"Me)) in mice fed a high-fat/high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet. This tea cultivar was then compared with an extract of Yabukita (a popular tea cultivar that lacks methylated catechins). For 6 weeks, C57BL/6J mice were fed either HF/HS diet with or without tea extracts from tea cultivars, which contained almost identical ingredients except for methylated catechins (i.e., Yabukita (0.2% and 1%) or Benifuuki (0.2% and 1%) extract powders). Supplementation with Benifuuki 0.2% markedly lowered plasma levels of TG and NEFAs compared with mice supplemented with Yabukita 0.2%. The diet containing Benifuuki 1% decreased adipose tissue weights, liver TG, and expression of lipogenic genes in the liver. These results suggested that Benifuuki had much greater lipid-lowering effects than Yabukita. Taken together, these data suggest that methylated catechins direct the strong lipid-lowering activity of Benifuuki.

MeSH terms

  • Absorption
  • Adipose Tissue / drug effects
  • Animals
  • Catechin / pharmacology
  • Catechin / therapeutic use*
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Diet, High-Fat
  • Dietary Sucrose
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / blood
  • Feeding Behavior / drug effects
  • Lipid Metabolism / drug effects
  • Lipid Metabolism / genetics
  • Lipid Metabolism Disorders / blood
  • Lipid Metabolism Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Lipid Metabolism Disorders / genetics
  • Lipid Metabolism Disorders / prevention & control*
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Phytotherapy
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Tea / chemistry*
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Dietary Sucrose
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified
  • Plant Extracts
  • Tea
  • Triglycerides
  • Catechin
  • Cholesterol