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Neuroprotective Effects of White Tea Against Oxidative Stress-Induced Toxicity in Striatal Cells

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Abstract

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and represents an important source of antioxidants mainly catechins that confer beneficial effects in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, age-related disorders or cancer. In the central nervous system, oxidative stress caused by increased production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species represents an important mechanism for neuronal dysfunction and cell loss in different neurodegenerative disorders. The neuroprotective effects of green-tea-derived polyphenols have extensively been demonstrated in different models of neurotoxicity. However, few data have been reported on the antioxidant activity of white tea extracts in the nervous system. In the present study, we demonstrate that white tea extracts protect striatal cell lines against oxidative stress-mediated cell death. The effects of white tea on protection of striatal cell cultures are likely associated with the antioxidant properties of white tea components since neuronal cell loss induced by nonoxidative insults such as D1 dopamine receptor activation cannot be prevented by pre-treatment with white tea. Altogether our results suggest that regular consumption of white tea may contribute to reduce oxidative stress associated with brain injury and be clinically useful for treating age-related and neurodegenerative disorders.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank M. Macdonald for providing the striatal cell line. We are very grateful to Cristina Herranz, Ana Lopez, M. Teresa Muñoz, for technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SAF2009-07077 to SG), Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED CB06/05/0054), Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, RETICS: RD06/0010/0006.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Engineering Department, The Technical University of Catalonia, Av. Diagonal 649, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    M. P. Almajano & I. Vila

  2. Departament de Biologia Cellular, Immunologia i Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain

    I. Vila & S. Gines

  3. Institut d′Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

    I. Vila & S. Gines

  4. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain

    S. Gines

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  1. M. P. Almajano
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  2. I. Vila
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  3. S. Gines
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Correspondence to S. Gines.

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Almajano, M.P., Vila, I. & Gines, S. Neuroprotective Effects of White Tea Against Oxidative Stress-Induced Toxicity in Striatal Cells. Neurotox Res 20, 372–378 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-011-9252-0

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