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Studies on black tea (Camellia sinensis) extract as a potential antioxidant and a probable radioprotector

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Abstract

Positive health effects of tea (Camellia sinensis) on a wide range of physiological problems and diseases are well known and are in part due to its copious antioxidant content. The effect of black tea extract (BTE), which is rich in polyphenolic antioxidants, against the consequences of radiation exposure has not been properly identified. The functional properties of BTE were analyzed and its radioprotective effect on V79 cells was explored in the present study. BTE scavenged free radicals and inhibited Fenton reaction-mediated 2-deoxyribose degradation and lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent fashion, establishing its antioxidant properties. The radioprotective effects of BTE on strand break induction in pBR322 plasmid DNA were 100 % at 80 μg/ml and higher. In V79 cells, BTE was effective in decreasing the frequency of radiation-induced micronucleated cells and the yields of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also in restoring the integrity of cellular mitochondrial membrane potential significantly. BTE exerted maximum protection against radiation-induced damage in V79 at a dose of 5 μg/ml. Due to the functional properties of BTE-flavonoids, which have been identified by HPLC, it is envisaged that the key player in radioprotection is elimination of ROS.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Tea Research Foundation (NTRF), India. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Dr. Abhijit Saha and Dr. Aparna Dutta of UGC-DAE Centre for Scientific Research, Kolkata, for providing the gamma irradiation facility and their wholehearted cooperation throughout the work. Sincere thanks are extended to Dr. Sanjay Mallick for his scientific support and cooperation during FACS experiments at Centre for Research in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (CRNN), Kolkata. Thanks are also due to Dr. Sujoy K. Dasgupta and Mr. Swaroop Biswas of Bose Institute, Kolkata, for conducting HPLC experiments and analysis. The authors are also thankful to Ms. Debjani Ghosh, junior research fellow at School of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences, WBUT, for her unconditional support throughout the work.

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  1. School of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences, West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Sandip Pal, Chabita Saha & Subrata Kumar Dey

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  1. Sandip Pal
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  2. Chabita Saha
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Correspondence to Chabita Saha.

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Pal, S., Saha, C. & Dey, S.K. Studies on black tea (Camellia sinensis) extract as a potential antioxidant and a probable radioprotector. Radiat Environ Biophys 52, 269–278 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-013-0463-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-013-0463-z

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