This is just one of dozens of papers and green tea is just one of many plant-based anti-inflammatory compounds-


1. J Nutr. 1998 Dec;128(12):2334-40.

Green tea polyphenols block endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-production
and lethality in a murine model.

Yang F, de Villiers WJ, McClain CJ, Varilek GW.

Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.

Green tea polyphenols are potent antioxidants. They have both anti-cancer and
anti-inflammatory effects. However, their mechanisms of actions remain unclear.
In inflammation, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNFalpha) plays a pivotal role.
NF-KB, an oxidative stress -sensitive nuclear transcription factor, controls the
expression of many genes including the TNFalpha gene. We postulated that green
tea polyphenols regulate TNFalpha gene expression by modulating NF-KB activation
through their antioxidant properties. In the macrophage cell line, RAW264.7,
(-)epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major green tea polyphenol, decreased
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TNFalpha production in a dose-dependent fashion
(50% inhibition at 100 mmol/L). EGCG also inhibited LPS-induced TNFalpha mRNA
expression and nuclear NF-KB-binding activity in RAW264.7 cells (30-40%
inhibition at 100 mmol/L). Similarly, EGCG inhibited LPS-induced TNFalpha
production in elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages. In male BALB/c mice, green
tea polyphenols (given by oral gavage 2 h prior to an i.p. injection of 40 mg
LPS/kg body wt) decreased LPS-induced TNFalpha production in serum in a
dose-responsive fashion. At a dose of 0.5 g green tea polyphenols/kg body wt,
serum TNFalpha was reduced by 80% of control. Moreover, 0.5 g green tea
polyphenols/kg body wt completely inhibited LPS-induced lethality in male BALB/c
mice. We conclude that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of green tea polyphenols
is mediated at least in part through down-regulation of TNFalpha gene expression
by blocking NF-KB activation. These findings suggest that green tea polyphenols
may be effective therapy for a variety of inflammatory processes.


PMID: 9868178 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]