A Comparison of the Protective Effects between Epigallocatechin Gallate or Epicatechin Gallate and the Mixtures of Their Components on Paraquat-Induced Oxidative Stress in Rats

Abstract

The preventive effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), gallic acid (GA), and a mixture of EGC and GA, and also of (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECg), (-)-epicatechin (EC), and a mixture of EC and GA against paraquat (PQ)-induced oxidative stress were compared in rats to determine whether the preventive effects of the EGCg and ECg against oxidative stress can be obtained by a mixture of their components or not. An increase in lung weight induced by PQ feeding was relieved by supplementing EGCg or ECg to the PQ diet, and the magnitude of relief was stronger than that achived by a mixture of EGC and GA, or EC and GA. An increase in liver TBARS, and decreases in the catalase activity in liver mitochondrial fraction and in liver triacylglycerol concentration, which were all induced by PQ feeding, were also relieved or tended to be relieved more effectively by EGCg or ECg than by either of the mixtures mentioned. These results demonstrated that the preventive effects of EGCg and ECg in vivo cannot be obtained by ingesting the mixtures of their components.