Effects of pu-erh tea on lipid metabolism in rats

Mikania micrantha Extract Inhibits HMG-CoA Reductase and ACAT2 and Ameliorates Hypercholesterolemia and Lipid Peroxidation in High Cholesterol-Fed Rats

The present study aimed to determine the effect of an ethyl acetate extract of Mikania micrantha stems (EAMMS) in hypercholesterolemia-induced rats. Rats were divided into a normal group (NC) and hypercholesterolemia induced groups: hypercholesterolemia control group (PC), simvastatin group (SV) (10 mg/kg) and EAMMS extract groups at different dosages of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Blood serum and tissues were collected for haematological, biochemical, histopathological, and enzyme analysis. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea, creatinine, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, as well as enzymes of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2), were measured. Feeding rats with high cholesterol diet for eight weeks resulted in a significantly (p < 0.05) increased of TC, TG, LDL-C, AST, ALT and MDA levels. Meanwhile, the administration of EAMMS extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and simvastatin (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA compared to rats in the PC group. Furthermore, all EAMMS and SV-treated groups showed a higher HDL-C level compared to both NC and PC groups. No significant difference was found in the level of ALT, AST, urea and creatinine between the different dosages in EAMMS extracts. Treatment with EAMMS also exhibited the highest inhibition activity of enzyme HMGCR and ACAT2 as compared to the control group. From the histopathological examination, liver tissues in the PC group showed severe steatosis than those fed with EAMMS and normal diet. Treatment with EAMMS extract ameliorated and reduced the pathological changes in the liver. No morphological changes showed in the kidney structure of both control and treated groups. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that EAMMS extract has anti-hypercholesterolemia properties and could be used as an alternative treatment for this disorder.

Pu-erh Tea Ameliorates Atherosclerosis Associated with Promoting Macrophage Apoptosis by Reducing NF-κB Activation in ApoE Knockout Mice

We explored whether pu-erh tea consumption ameliorates atherosclerosis and the possible mechanism for its effects in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice. Our data showed that pu-erh tea consumption markedly reduced early fatty streak formation and the advanced fibrofatty plaque sizes. Additionally, the mean proportion of inflammatory macrophages in the plaque decreased, and the number of apoptotic macrophages increased significantly. NF-κB activity in peritoneal macrophages decreased by 75.6% compared to the controls, similar with the levels of IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α expression. The tea extract increased the apoptosis of RAW264.7 cells by decreasing NF-κB activation and reducing the inflammatory cytokine expression. In conclusion, pu-erh tea ameliorates atherosclerosis progress by alleviating the chronic inflammatory state by reducing NF-κB activation and promoting macrophage apoptosis in atherosclerotic plaques.

Serum metabolomics analysis of rat after intragastric infusion of Pu-erh theabrownin

BACKGROUND

The aim was to study the effects of Pu-erh theabrownin (TB) (Mw  > 50 kDa) on the metabolism of rat serum by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics and identify candidate marker metabolites associated with Pu-erh TB, and thus provide fundamental information for a better understanding of the metabolism of Pu-erh tea in animals.

RESULTS

TB infusion induced different changes in endogenous serum metabolites depending on the type of diet. Compared with the control group, the TB infusion group showed significantly reduced serum glycine and choline levels, as well as significantly increased taurine, carnitine and high-density lipoprotein (all P < 0.05). Compared with the high-lipid group, the high-lipid TB infusion group exhibited significantly reduced low-density lipoprotein and acetate levels, as well as significantly increased inositol, carnitine and glycine levels (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Examination of the variations of these differential expressed metabolites and their individual functions revealed that the TB extract accelerated lipid catabolism in rats and might affect glucose metabolism. Of these, carnitine level significantly increased after intragastric infusion of TB regardless of the type of diet, and activities of carnitine palmitoyltransferases I and II changed significantly, suggesting carnitine may be a candidate serum marker for tracking the metabolism of TB in rats. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pu-erh tea down-regulates sterol regulatory element-binding protein and stearyol-CoA desaturase to reduce fat storage in Caenorhaditis elegans

Consumption of Pu-erh has been reported to result in numerous health benefits, but the mechanisms underlying purported weight-loss and lowering of lipid are poorly understood. Here, we used the nematode Caenorhaditis elegans to explore the water extract of Pu-erh tea (PTE) functions to reduce fat storage. We found that PTE down-regulates the expression of the master fat regulator SBP-1, a homologue of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) and its target stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), a key enzyme in fat biosynthesis, leading to an increased ratio of stearic acid (C18:0) to oleic acid (C18:1n-9), and subsequently decreased fat storage. We also found that both the pharyngeal pumping rate and food uptake of C. elegans decreased with exposure to PTE. Collectively, these results provide an experimental basis for explaining the ability of Pu-erh tea in promoting inhibition of food uptake and the biosynthesis of fat via SBP-1 and SCD, thereby reducing fat storage.

Effects of Pu-erh tea aqueous extract (PTAE) on blood lipid metabolism enzymes

Effects of Pu-erh tea aqueous extract (PTAE) on blood lipid metabolism enzymes (e.g.HMGR) are assayedin vitro.

Antioxidant phenolic compounds from Pu-erh tea

Eight compounds were isolated from the water extract of Pu-erh tea and their structures were elucidated by NMR and MS as gallic acid (1), (+)-catechin (2), (−)-epicatechin (3), (−)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate (4), (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (5), (−)-epiafzelechin-3-O-gallate (6), kaempferol (7), and quercetin (8). Their in vitro antioxidant activities were assessed by the DPPH and ABTS scavenging methods with microplate assays. The relative order of DPPH scavenging capacity for these compounds was compound 8 > compound 7 > compound 1 > compound 6 > compound 4 ≈ compound 5 > compound 2 > VC (reference) > compound 3, and that of ABTS scavenging capacity was compound 1 > compound 2 > compound 7 ≈ compound 8 > compound 6 > compound 5 > compound 4 > VC (reference) > compound 3. The results showed that these phenolic compounds contributed to the antioxidant activity of Pu-erh tea.

Pu-erh tea reduces nitric oxide levels in rats by inhibiting inducible nitric oxide synthase expression through toll-like receptor 4

Pu-erh tea undergoes a unique fermentation process and contains theabrownins, polysaccharides and caffeine; although it is unclear about which component is associated with the down regulation of nitric oxide levels or how this process is mediated. To address this question we examined the effects of pu-erh tea on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) genes. Cohorts of rats were separately given four-week treatments of water as control, pu-erh tea, or the tea components: theabrownins, caffeine or polysaccharides. Five experimental groups were injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to induce nitric oxide (NO) production, while the corresponding five control groups were injected with saline as a negative control. The serum and liver NO concentrations were examined and the NOS expression of both mRNA and protein was measured in liver. The results showed that the rats which were fed pu-erh tea or polysaccharides had lower levels of NO which corresponded with the down-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. We further demonstrate that this effect is mediated through reduction of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. Thus we find that the polysaccharide components in pu-erh tea reduce NO levels in an animal model by inhibiting the iNOS expression via signaling through TLR4.

Predicting the age and type of tuocha tea by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometric data analysis

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric multivariate methods was proposed to discriminate the type (unfermented and fermented) and predict the age of tuocha tea. Transmittance FTIR spectra ranging from 400 to 4000 cm(-1) of 80 fermented and 98 unfermented tea samples from Yunnan province of China were measured. Sample preparation involved finely grinding tea samples and formation of thin KBr disks (under 120 kg/cm(2) for 5 min). For data analysis, partial least-squares (PLS) discriminant analysis (PLSDA) was applied to discriminate unfermented and fermented teas. The sensitivity and specificity of PLSDA with first-derivative spectra were 93 and 96%, respectively. Multivariate calibration models were developed to predict the age of fermented and unfermented teas. Different options of data preprocessing and calibration models were investigated. Whereas linear PLS based on standard normal variate (SNV) spectra was adequate for modeling the age of unfermented tea samples (RMSEP = 1.47 months), a nonlinear back-propagation-artificial neutral network was required for calibrating the age of fermented tea (RMSEP = 1.67 months with second-derivative spectra). For type discrimination and calibration of tea age, SNV and derivative preprocessing played an important role in reducing the spectral variations caused by scattering effects and baseline shifts.

Determination and comparison of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in pu-erh and other types of Chinese tea

Two previous studies have reported that pu-erh tea contains a high level of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and has several physiological functions. However, two other researchers have demonstrated that the GABA content of several pu-erh teas was low. Due to the high value and health benefits of GABA, analysis of mass-produced pu-erh tea is necessary to determine whether it is actually enriched with GABA. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of GABA in tea, the results of which were verified by amino acid analysis using an Amino Acid Analyzer (AAA). A total of 114 samples of various types of Chinese tea, including 62 pu-erh teas, 13 green teas, 8 oolong teas, 8 black teas, 3 white teas, 4 GABA teas, and 16 process samples from two industrial fermentations of pu-erh tea (including the raw material and the first to seventh turnings), were analyzed using HPLC. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the GABA content in pu-erh tea was significantly lower than that in other types of tea (p < 0.05) and that the GABA content decreased during industrial fermentation of pu-erh tea (p < 0.05). This mass analysis and comparison suggested GABA was not a major bioactive constituent and resolved the disagreement GABA content in pu-erh tea. In addition, the GABA content in white tea was found to be significantly higher than that in the other types of tea (p < 0.05), leading to the possibility of producing GABA-enriched white tea.

Inhibition of three selected beverage extracts on alpha-glucosidase and rapid identification of their active compounds using HPLC-DAD-MS/MS and biochemical detection

Inhibition of alpha-glucosidase is a therapeutic approach for diabetes. In this study, a method based on online liquid chromatography-diode array detection-tandem mass spectrometry and biochemical detection (LC-DAD-MS/MS-BCD) was developed to screen and identify alpha-glucosidase inhibitors from selected beverage extracts, including pu-erh tea ( Camellia sinensis var. assamica), eagle tea ( Litsea coreana Levl.), and radix glycyrrhizae ( Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.). As a result, two components, (-)-epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechingallate (ECG), as potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, were found in pu-erh tea. The IC(50) values of EGCG and ECG on alpha-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) were 175.1 and 246.9 microM, respectively, and both were lower than that of acarbose (IC(50) = 3553.0 microM), a commercial alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. Kinetic studies revealed that both EGCG and ECG inhibited alpha-glucosidase activity in a noncompetitive manner. The study suggests that the developed LC-DAD-MS/MS-BCD system is a powerful tool for rapid screening and identification of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors in complex samples and that EGCG and ECG may be good candidates as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors.

Application of metabolomics in the analysis of manufacturing type of pu-erh tea and composition changes with different postfermentation year

Liquid chromatography-mass and multivariate analyses were employed to measure the composition of pu-erh teas and to determine the general changes in the compositional patterns of pu-erh teas during postfermentation. Principle component analysis of pu-erh teas indicated two large distinct clusters in the score plot: ripened pu-erh teas and raw pu-erh teas. The raw pu-erh teas contained more antioxidant compounds compared to ripened pu-erh teas. As a result, the raw pu-erh teas showed significantly higher antioxidant activities than the ripened pu-erh teas in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. In addition, raw pu-erh teas showed significantly higher NO inhibitory and cell protective activities than the ripened pu-erh teas. Significant correlations between compounds and postfermentation year were observed in raw pu-erh teas; epigallocatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate, and quinic acid were decreased and gallic acid was increased in a year-dependent manner. The antioxidant activity was shown to decrease as the number of antioxidant compounds in raw pu-erh tea decreased. These findings indicate that a metabolomic approach is a useful tool for analyzing manufacturing type, postfermentation year, and antioxidant activity of pu-erh tea.

Pu-erh tea attenuates hyperlipogenesis and induces hepatoma cells growth arrest through activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in human HepG2 cells

In the present study, we successively extracted the pu-erh raw tea with methanol (PR-1), chloroform (PR-2), ethyl acetate (PR-3), n-butanol (PR-4), and water (PR-5). Among these extracts, PR-3 extract contained ingredients with the most effective hypolipidemic potential and was further purified by column chromatography. Moreover, chronic administration of PR-3 provoked a significant reduction in levels of serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in rats. Our study demonstrated that fraction 5 from the PR-3 extract (PR-3-5s) showed a hypolipidemic effect in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. PR-3-5s decreased the expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and inhibited the activity of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) by stimulating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through the LKB1 pathway. Moreover, PR-3-5s blocked the progression of the cell cycle at the G1 phase by inducing p53 expression and in turn upregulating p21 expression.

Characterization of pu-erh tea using chemical and metabolic profiling approaches

In this study, the chemical constituents of pu-erh tea, black tea, and green tea, as well as those of pu-erh tea products of different ages, were analyzed and compared using a chemical profiling approach. Differences in tea processing resulted in differences in the chemical constituents and the color of tea infusions. Human biological responses to pu-erh tea ingestion were also studied by using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOFMS) in conjunction with multivariate statistical techniques. Metabolic alterations during and after pu-erh tea ingestion were characterized by increased urinary excretion of 5-hydroxytryptophan, inositol, and 4-methoxyphenylacetic acid, along with reduced excretion of 3-chlorotyrosine and creatinine. This study highlights the potential for metabonomic technology to assess nutritional interventions and is an important step toward a full understanding of pu-erh tea and its influence on human metabolism.

Aspergillus acidus from Puerh tea and black tea does not produce ochratoxin A and fumonisin B2

Puerh tea is a unique Chinese fermented tea. Unlike other teas it is stored for a long period of time. Aspergillus niger is claimed to be the dominant microorganism in the Puerh tea manufacturing process and also to be common on tea in general. A. niger sensu stricto is known to produce the mycotoxins ochratoxin A, fumonisins B(2) and B(4). With this in mind, we performed a preliminary study to determine if production of these mycotoxins by black Aspergilli isolated from Puerh and black tea can occur. An examination of 47 isolates from Puerh tea and black tea showed that none of these was A. niger. A part of the calmodulin gene in 17 isolates were sequenced, and these 17 isolates were all identified as Aspergillus acidus (=A. foetidus var. acidus). The rest of the 47 isolates were also identified as A. acidus from their metabolite profile. Neither production of ochratoxin A nor fumonisins B(2) and B(4) by any of the 47 isolates were observed.

Identification and quantification of free radical scavengers in Pu-erh tea by HPLC-DAD-MS coupled online with 2,2'-Azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazolinesulfonic acid) diammonium salt assay

Pu-erh tea, a well-known traditional beverage in China, has attracted more attention because of its beneficial health effects and special flavor and taste. Generally, it is believed that Pu-erh tea with a longer preservation period has better quality and taste. Antioxidant activity is one of the major beneficial activities of tea. In this study, a HPLC-DAD-MS coupled with 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazolinesulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) assay was employed for identification and quantification of free radical scavengers in different samples of Pu-erh tea. Among 12 main peaks detected in Pu-erh raw tea, 11 compounds were identified as gallic acid, (-)-gallocatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, (+)-catechin, caffeine, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechingallate, rutin, (-)-epicatechingallate, quercetin-3-glucoside, and kaempferol-3-glucoside by comparison of their UV and MS data with standard compounds or literature data, respectively. The contents of 12 investigated compounds were also determined or estimated using caffeine, (-)-epicatechin, or rutin as standard. ABTS assay showed that 10 out of 12 compounds were free radical scavengers. Their total amount was used as the marker for evaluation of free radical scavenging activities of different Pu-erh teas, which indicated that the activity of different Pu-erh teas varied; Pu-erh raw tea was stronger than the ripe one, and the activity decreased with the increase of preservation period.

Tea, obesity, and diabetes

Tea has been found to possess widespread biological functions based on a variety of laboratory data. The effects of tea on obesity and diabetes have received increasing attention. This paper reviews the evidence for the connections among tea catechins, and obesity and diabetes. Tea catechins, especially (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), appear to have antiobesity and antidiabetic effects. While few epidemiological and clinical studies show the health benefits of EGCG on obesity and diabetes, the mechanisms of its actions are emerging based on the various laboratory data. These mechanisms may be related to certain pathways, such as through the modulations of energy balance, endocrine systems, food intake, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, the redox status, and activities of different types of cells (i. e., fat, liver, muscle, and beta-pancreatic cells). Because the EGCG receptor, the so-called 67-kDa laminin receptor (LR), has been discovered with colocalization of other types of LR and cytoskeleton in both cancer cells and normal cells, this may explain that EGCG possesses numerous actions. The mechanistic results of this review may possibly be utilized in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and other related diseases using tea- and EGCG-based folk medicines.

Comparison of green tea extract and epigallocatechin gallate on blood pressure and contractile responses of vascular smooth muscle of rats

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of green tea extract (GTE) on arteral blood pressure and contractile responses of isolated aortic strips of the normotensive rats and to establish the mechanism of action. The phenylephrine (10(-8) approximately 10(-5) M)-induced contractile responses were greatly inhibited in the presence of GTE (0.3 approximately 1.2 mg/mL) in a dose-dependent fashion. Also, high potassium (3.5 x 10(-2) approximately 5.6 x 10(-2) M)-induced contractile responses were depressed in the presence of 0.6 approximately 1.2 mg/mL of GTE, but not affected in low concentration of GTE (0.3 mg/mL). However, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, 4 approximately 12 microg/mL) did not affect the contractile responses evoked by phenylephrine and high K+. GTE (5 approximately 20 mg/kg) given into a femoral vein of the normotensive rat produced a dose-dependent depressor response, which is transient. Interestingly, the infusion of a moderate dose of GTE (10 mg/kg/30 min) made a significant reduction in pressor responses induced by intravenous norepinephrine. However, EGCG (1 mg/kg/30 min) did not affect them. Collectively, these results obtained from the present study demonstrate that intravenous GTE causes a dose-dependent depressor action in the anesthetized rat at least partly through the blockade of adrenergic alpha1-receptors. GTE also causes the relaxation in the isolated aortic strips of the rat via the blockade of adrenergic alpha1-receptors, in addition to the unknown direct mechanism. It seems that there is a big difference in the vascular effect between GTE and EGCG.

Chinese green tea lowers cholesterol level through an increase in fecal lipid excretion

Lung Chen Tea, a Chinese green tea, has been found to lower serum and liver cholesterol. In this study, its dose response and mechanisms of action on cholesterol lowering in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated. The activities of three major lipid metabolizing enzymes, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-Co A) reductase, cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and fatty acid synthase (FAS), as well as fecal excretion of bile acids and cholesterol were examined. Lung Chen Tea administration for eight weeks significantly lowered the serum cholesterol in the 2% and 4% groups. The activities of the three enzymes were not affected by Lung Chen Tea, but the fecal bile acids and cholesterol excretions were significantly increased. These results demonstrated that Lung Chen Tea lowered plasma cholesterol by increasing fecal bile acids and cholesterol excretion. Further investigation is required to evaluate the exact mechanisms of action of Lung Chen Tea.

Preventive effects of drinking green tea on cancer and cardiovascular disease: epidemiological evidence for multiple targeting prevention

The significance of drinking green tea in prevention of two of the main lifestyle-related diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease, was demonstrated in terms of a prospective cohort study on a total of 8,552 general residents in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. On the basis of the follow-up study, we revealed decreased relative risk of cancer incidence for those consuming over 10 cups a day, compared with those consuming below 3 cups: 0.54 (95% confidence interval, 0.22-1.34) for men, 0.57 (0.34-0.98) for women, and 0.59 (0.35-0.98) for both sexes. Furthermore, a significant delay in cancer onset was associated with increased consumption of green tea. Next, decreased relative risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 0.58 (0.34-0.99) for men, 0.82 (0.49-1.38) for women, and 0.72 (0.60-1.04) for members of both sexes consuming over 10 cups a day. Finally, we evaluated the life-prolonging effects of drinking green tea on cumulative survival, using the life table.

Jasmine green tea epicatechins are hypolipidemic in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) fed a high fat diet

These studies were designed to test the hypolipidemic activity of green tea epicatechins (GTE) isolated from jasmine green tea. In Experiment 1, three groups of hamsters were given a semisynthetic diet containing 200 g lard/kg and 1 g cholesterol/kg for 4 wk. The control group received distilled water, and the other two groups received either 15 g/L green tea water extract (GTWE) or 5.0 g/L GTE solution. Both the GTWE and GTE groups had lower concentrations of serum total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerols (TG) than the controls (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, four groups of hamsters received tap water as the drinking fluid, but they were given the same high fat and cholesterol diet supplemented with 0 (control), 1.1, 3.4 or 5.7 g GTE/kg diet. The hypolipidemic effect of jasmine GTE was dose dependent. In Experiment 3, the time-course of changes in serum TC and TG was monitored in hamsters given the high fat diet supplemented with 5.7 g GTE/kg in comparison with that of controls. The hypolipidemic effects of dietary GTE were evident after feeding for 2 wk. Dietary supplementation of GTE did not affect liver fatty acid synthase. However, GTE-supplemented hamsters had higher fecal excretions of total fatty acids, neutral sterols and acidic sterols compared with the control group. In Experiment 4, hamsters were fed nonpurified diet; the control group drank distilled water, and the GTE group drank distilled water containing 5.0 g GTE/L. No differences in activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase and intestinal acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase were observed. This study suggests that the hypolipidemic activity of GTE is not due to inhibition of synthesis of cholesterol or fatty acid but is most likely mediated by its influence on absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol.

Cross sectional study of effects of drinking green tea on cardiovascular and liver diseases

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between consumption of green tea and various serum markers in a Japanese population, with special reference to preventive effects of green tea against cardiovascular disease and disorders of the liver.

DESIGN

Cross sectional study.

SETTING

Yoshimi, Japan.

SUBJECTS

1371 men aged over 40 years resident in Yoshimi and surveyed on their living habits including daily consumption of green tea. Their peripheral blood samples were subjected to several biochemical assays.

RESULTS

Increased consumption of green tea was associated with decreased serum concentrations of total cholesterol (P for trend < 0.001) and triglyceride (P for trend = 0.02) and an increased proportion of high density lipoprotein cholesterol together with a decreased proportion of low and very low lipoprotein cholesterols (P for trend = 0.02), which resulted in a decreased atherogenic index (P for trend = 0.02). Moreover, increased consumption of green tea, especially more than 10 cups a day, was related to decreased concentrations of hepatological markers in serum, aspartate aminotransferase (P for trend = 0.06), alanine transferase (P for trend = 0.07), and ferritin (P for trend = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

The inverse association between consumption of green tea and various serum markers shows that green tea may act protectively against cardiovascular disease and disorders of the liver.