MEDIA RELEASE PR37701
Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCg) in Green Tea Confirmed to Prevent Infection by New Type
of H1N1 Flu Virus in Vitro
TOKYO, Dec. 24 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/--
-Joint research with University of Shizuoka also suggests efficacy in preventing
infections by flu virus subtypes other than H1N1-
Joint research conducted by the Central Research Institute of ITO EN, Ltd. and Professor
Takashi Suzuki of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, showed
that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a kind of catechin contained in green tea, had an
inhibitory effect against three types of influenza viruses, including the swine-origin
H1N1 virus that caused pandemic flu in 2009, and that its effect did not depend on the
type of virus. These findings once again suggest that green tea is effective in
preventing flu.
-
Background
Influenza viruses are highly contagious and susceptible to mutation. This is why flu
spreads repeatedly each year. Recently, the swine-origin, new type of flu (H1N1) has
become a pandemic, raising serious concerns. Gargling with green tea has already proved
to prevent the onset of seasonal flu. It has become clear that catechin, a major type of
polyphenol in green tea, plays a major role in prevention of flu infection, and that,
among different types of catechin, EGCg displays the strongest antiviral activity.
We conducted examinations to see if EGCg also shows antiviral activity against the new
type of H1N1 virus, regardless of viral subtypes. (Patent applications were filled for
related matters.)
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Research content
Solutions containing three types of viruses including the H1N1 virus were mixed with
EGCg extracted from green tea. The mixture was added to cultured cells, which were thus
infected. The cells were incubated for a set period of time, and the number of infected
cells was counted. The concentration of EGCg at which virus infection was inhibited to
50% of the level of infection without EGCg was calculated.
-
Results
The experiments showed that EGCg prevented flu virus infections at lower concentrations
than Amantadine (a drug used to prevent and treat flu). A typical concentration of EGCg
in green tea infused from a teapot is reported as 5,000-7,000 micromoles/L. Therefore,
these results indicate that green tea diluted 1,000-fold or more is effective to halve
infections by three types of viruses, including H1N1.
The study showed that EGCg contained in green tea has potential to inhibit flu infection
regardless of its type, and suggested once again that green tea is effective in
preventing flu.
About the Central Research Institute of ITO EN, Ltd.
President: Daisuke Honjo
Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Source: Ito En, Ltd.
Contact:
Akihisa Nakagawa
PR Office
Public Relations Department
Ito En, Ltd.
Tel: +81-3-5371-7185
Fax: +81-3-5371-7184
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