Separation of Epigallocatechin Gallate from Natural Plant Extracts Using Crowding Agents—Assisted Imprinted Polymers

A methodology-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was proposed to separate epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from natural plant extracts. A molecular crowding agent was introduced to improve the affinity and recognizing ability of EGCG in the preparation of an MIP monolith. Acrylamide was used as the functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate was the crosslinking monomer, using a solution of polystyrene in tetrahydrofuran as a molecular crowding agent with isooctane as a coporogen. In addition, it was found that the ratio of the macromolecule agent, the amount of templates and crosslinking degree, and the composition of the mobile phase greatly affected the retention of the template and performance of molecular recognition. The imprinting factor of the resulting MIP monolith obtained was up to 9.67. The resulting MIP can be used to purify EGCG from crude tea polyphenol efficiently with mean recoveries of 87.42 %.

     

Full Validation of a Simple Method for Determination of Catechins and Caffeine in Brazilian Green Tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) Using HPLC

This paper describes the validation of an HPLC method for the assay of a green tea brew. The method employs a RP-18 column with water:methanol:ethyl acetate elution and UV detection at 280 nm. Specificity was evaluated using a photodiode array detector. The validation data showed that the assay is specific, accurate, precise, and reproducible for determination of six catechins and caffeine simultaneously. The response was linear over a range of 37–185 μg mL^?1 for caffeine, 99–500 μg mL^?1 for (?)-epigallocatechin (EGC), 20–100 μg mL^?1 for (+)-catechin (C), 30–150 μg mL^?1 for (?)-epicatechin (EC), 150–800 μg mL^?1 for (?)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), 20–105 μg mL^?1 for (?)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG) and 40–205 μg mL^?1 for (?)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) (r > 0.9999 for all compounds). The range of recoveries was 96.12–110.48% according to substances. The RSD values for intra- and inter-day precision studies were <2.07 and <6.65%, respectively. The composition of samples assayed suggests that the summer is the best season for extract a major content of EGCG and caffeine. This assay can be readily utilized as quality controlled method for major green tea compounds.     

One-step purification of epigallocatechin gallate from crude green tea extracts by mixed-mode adsorption chromatography on highly cross-linked agarose media

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was purified in one step from a green tea polyphenol (GTP) crude extract by adsorption chromatography on a Superose 12 HR 10/30 column. The mobile phase used was a mixture of acetonitrile and water with an optimum mobile phase compositions regarding purity, recovery and separation time of 78/22 (v/v). Maximum practical sample loading was 100 mg GTP per run (corresponding to 4.2 mg/ml Superose). An EGCG purity of 99% with recoveries in the range 60-65% was achieved in one step directly from the crude GTP extract. Full column regeneration was obtained using solvents in the following order: 0.5 M NaOH, distilled water and 30% acetic acid.     

Drug–tea polyphenol interaction

Propericiazine (PCZ) is an antipsychotic agent used for the treatment and the prevention of relapse of schizophrenia. We found that when an oral solution containing PCZ was mixed with a green tea drink, the residual content of PCZ was reduced by forming an insoluble complex between PCZ and tea polyphenol. In this study, the mechanism underlying the incompatibility of PCZ with green tea polyphenol (GTP) in the solution was clarified by isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC). Both solutions of 27.4 mM PCZ and 2.2 mM (?)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), which is a main ingredient of GTP, were mixed and then PCZ in the filtrate was reduced to approximately 60 %. According to measurement at 298 K by ITC, PCZ formed an insoluble complex with EGCg at an associate constant (K) of 4.75 × 10² M^?1 exothermically, ΔH = ?40.0 kJ mol^?1. When (?)-epicatechin gallate (ECg) was used as the GTP, PCZ interacted with ECg with K and ΔH values of 3.74 × 10² M^?1 and ?22.1 kJ mol^?1, respectively. On the other hand, little heat of the reaction between PCZ and (?)-epigallocatechin or (?)-epicatechin was observed. The results indicated that the main reason for this incompatibility was the formation of an insoluble complex by PCZ and a gallate-type GTP such as EGCg and ECg in the aqueous solution.     

半制备型液相色谱法分离纯化茶叶鲜叶中7种儿茶素类化合物

建立了从茶叶鲜叶中分离纯化7种儿茶素类化合物(没食子儿茶素(GC)、表没食子儿茶素(EGC)、儿茶素(C)、表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(EGCG)、表儿茶素(EC)、表没食子儿茶素3-O-(3-O-甲基)没食子酸酯(EGCG3"Me)和表儿茶素没食子酸酯(ECG))的半制备色谱法。铁观音鲜叶经甲醇超声浸提、浓缩、氯仿萃取后,向水相中加入碱式醋酸铅沉淀,得到茶多酚粗品。分别以甲醇-水、乙腈-水作为流动相,采用半制备色谱法纯化7种儿茶素类化合物,纯度均达到90%。此外,利用同样的方法分离纯化另外两种茶叶鲜叶中的7种儿茶素类化合物,得到相似的结果。该方法以溶剂提取、离子沉淀结合半制备色谱,适于简单、高效地同时分离制备多种儿茶素类化合物。     

Effects of epigallocatechin gallate on the cell-wall structure of Mycobacterial smegmatis mc2155

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the main component of green tea extracts that inhibits the growth of Mycobacterial smegmatis mc²155, and the mechanism is not clear. This study showed the effects of EGCG on the growth of mc²155. The content and the structure of EGCG in LB medium with mc²155 were identified by HPLC and LC/MS. Transmission electron microscopy was utilised to identify the cell envelope structure. As a result, the optional inhibition concentration was determined to be 20 μg mL^? 1. Most of EGCG was transferred into its isomeride in LB medium, but the inhibition effects against mc²155 had yet been maintained. The changes of cell envelope structure were showed after EGCG treatment for 18 h. The cell wall appeared to have a less electron-translucent zone, turn rougher and thicker. The results show that EGCG impacts the integrity of mycobacterial cell wall and is likely be a better prophylactic agent against tuberculosis.     

Reactions of tea polyphenol four constituents with hydroxyl radical: A pulse radiolytic study

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Solid-Phase Extraction of Caffeine and Theophylline from Green Tea by a New Ionic Liquid-Modified Functional Polymer Sorbent

The new ionic liquid-modified polymer sorbent was developed by surface chemical modification of the synthesized polymer particles using ionic liquids. The obtained ionic liquid-modified polymer was successfully used as a special sorbent in a solid-phase extraction (SPE) process to isolate caffeine and theophylline from green tea. A comparison of different SPE cartridges using the blank polymer, C₁₈, and ionic liquid-modified polymer revealed that the highest recovery was obtained using ionic liquid-modified polymer sorbent. Quantitative analysis was carried out by using a C₁₈ column (5 µm, 150 × 4.6 mm) as an analytical column. Good linearity was obtained from 5 × 10^?4 to 0.5 mg/mL (r²>0.999) for the two analytes with relative standard deviations <4.5%.     

Study of the release of gallic acid from (–)‐epigallocatechin gallate in old oolong tea by mass spectrometry

Liquid chromatography combined with multiple‐stage mass spectrometry (LC/MSⁿ) was used to study the pathway of the release of gallic acid (GA) from epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in infusion of old oolong tea. The possibility of releasing GA from EGCG in old tea preparations was supported by an in vitro observation of GA degraded from EGCG under heating conditions mimicking the drying process. Negative electrospray ionization with the data‐dependent mode of MSⁿ was used to study the formation pathway of GA in old oolong tea. The MSⁿ data show that GA was released from the dimer of EGCG, not directly degraded from EGCG. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A method based on electrodeposition of reduced graphene oxide on glassy carbon electrode for sensitive detection of theophylline

Graphene nanosheets were directly electrodeposited onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) from the electrolyte solution containing graphene oxide (GO); the resulting electrode (ED-GO/GCE) was characterized with scanning electron microscopy. A simple and rapid electrochemical method was developed for the determination of theophylline (TP), based on the excellent properties of ED-GO film. The result indicated that ED-GO film-modified GCE exhibited efficient electrocatalytic oxidation for TP with relatively high sensitivity and stability. The electrochemical behavior of TP at ED-GO/GCE was investigated in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the oxidation peak current was proportional to the TP concentration in the range of 8.0?×?10^?7 to 6.0?×?10^?5 mol?L^?1 with the detection limit of 1.0?×?10^?7 mol?L^?1 (S/N?=?3). The proposed method was successfully applied to green tea samples with satisfactory results.     

Electrochemical Characterization of Epigallocatechin Gallate Using Square‐Wave Voltammetry

Electrochemical oxidation of (?)‐epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main monomer flavanol found in green tea, has been investigated over a wide pH range at a glassy‐carbon electrode using square‐wave voltammetry (SWV). Square‐wave voltammograms of (?)‐epigallocatechin (EGC) and gallic acid have been studied as well. The I–E profile of EGCG, i.e. the oxidation potentials and the current responses of the first and the second peak, is pH dependent. The oxidation of EGCG is a quasireversible process over the studied pH range, which was also confirmed by the non‐linear relationship between the peak currents and squre root of frequency. The best SWV responses for EGCG were obtained at pH 2.0, frequency of 100 Hz, step of 2 mV and amplitude of 50 mV. Under these conditions, linear responses for EGCG were obtained for concentrations from 1×10^?7 M to 1×10^?6 M, and calculated LOD and LOQ for the first oxidation peak were 6.59×10^?8 M and 2.19×10^?7 M, respectively. The proposed electroanalytical procedure was applied for the determination of EGCG content in green tea. Developed SWV methodology represents a potential analytical tool in determination of catechins in tea samples.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of catechins from Cratoxylum prunifolium dyer and subsequent purification by high-speed counter-current chromatography

Supercritical fluid extraction of tea catechins including epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin-3-O-gallate (ECG) from Cratoxylum prunifolium Dyer was performed. The optimization of parameters was carried out using an analytical-scale supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) system designed in our laboratory. Then the extraction was scaled up by 100 times using a preparative SFE system under a set of optimized conditions of 40 degrees C, 25 MPa and modified CO2 with 80% ethanol aqueous solution. The combined yield of EGCG and ECG reached about 1 mg per 1 g of tea leaves where the solubility was near 1.4 x 10(-4) mass fraction of CO2 fluid. EGCG and ECG of high purity (>98%) were obtained from the crude preparative extract by high-speed counter-current chromatography.     

Synthesis and Application of Histidine-Modified Poly(Glycidyl Methacrylate/Ethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate) Sorbent for Isolation of Caffeine from Black and Green Tea Samples

This work presents the synthesis of a polymeric mixed-mode solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent for clean-up and isolation of caffeine from black and green tea samples. The material was synthesized by a simple thermally initiated copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Further functionalization was executed with histidine (HIS). Functional groups were investigated by attenuated total-reflection infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, nitrogen sorption porosimetry was executed and revealed surface areas of 90 m² g^??1. Adsorption capacities for caffeine were compared between functionalized and non-modified polymers and showed maximum capacities of 3.01 and 4.82 mg g^??1 polymer, respectively. Time adsorption profiles revealed an equilibrium adsorption after 15 min. The proposed polymer was used for SPE of black and green tea extracts and showed excellent clean-up efficiency for isolation of caffeine with recoveries ranging from 89 to 93%. When compared to commercially available Oasis HLB, the HIS-functionalized polymer demonstrated a distinctly better performance for clean-up. Finally, the proposed method was validated regarding international (ICH) guidelines and regulations.     

Stimulatory Effect of Different Lignocellulosic Materials for Phenolic Compound Production and Antioxidant Activity from Inonotus obliquus in Submerged Fermentation

White-rot fungus Inonotus obliquus grown in submerged culture produces antioxidative phenolic compounds. In this study, addition of lignocellulosic materials into the liquid culture increased the production and antioxidant activity of extra- and intra-cellular phenolic compounds (EPC and IPC, respectively). The production of EPC and IPC was significantly enhanced by wheat straw (by 151.2 and 45.3 %), sugarcane bagasse (by 106.9 and 26.1 %), and rice straw (by 67.6 and 38.9 %). Both of the EPC and IPC extracts from the three substrates showed a higher hydroxyl and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity than those from the control medium. The highly active polyphenols such as tea catechins of epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and phelligridin G in the EPC extracts increased by 113.1, 75.0, and 86.3 % in the sugarcane bagasse medium. Davallialactone and inoscavin B in the EPC extracts were generated in large amounts in the lignocellulose media but not found in the control medium. The IPC extract from the wheat straw medium had the highest production of EGCG and ECG (17.6 and 18.1 mg/l). The different enhancement among the materials was attributed to the content and degradation rate of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The different antioxidant activity of the EPC and IPC extracts was related to their phenolic compositions.     

(−)-Epigallocatechin gallate/gelatin layer-by-layer assembled films and microcapsules

A new type of protein/polyphenol microcapsules on the basis of naturally occurring polyphenol (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and gelatin, type A, was obtained using the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly method. The microcapsules show a more pronounced dependence of permeability on molecular weight of permeating substances than commonly used polyallylamine/polystyrene sulfonate capsules. The regularities of EGCG adsorption in alternation with type A and B gelatins have been investigated using quartz crystal microbalance and electrophoretic mobility measurements on microparticles and found to be dependent on gelatin properties. EGCG in the LbL assemblies retains its antioxidant activity. The kinetics of the reaction of 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) cation-radicals with films consisting of 1–10 gelatin/EGCG bilayers is affected by film structure. The EGCG content in the protein/polyphenol film material is as high as 30% w/w. Encapsulation of EGCG via its alternated adsorption with gelatins can be a perspective way to new formulations containing the polyphenol for drug delivery applications.     

Effect of tea catechins on the structure of lipid membrane and beta-ray induced lipid peroxidation

Inhibiting effect of four tea catechins, (−)-epicatechin (EC), (−)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), on the lipid peroxidation induced by β-ray in tritiated water was examined using a spin probe method. 16-Doxylstearic acid (16NS) was incorporated into the liposome prepared from egg yolk phosphatidylcholine and the rate of the decrease of ESR intensity of 16NS was used as a measure of the inhibiting effect. In the low concentration region below 10⁻⁵M, catechins showed their inhibitions on the lipid peroxidation according to the order of ECG>EGCG>EC>EGC. This result was explained by a model that the initiator of the peroxidation is the hydroxyl radical (·OH) and the catechins adsorbed on the lipid membrane surface acting as scavengers of ·OH. In the high concentration range, however, the effect was diverse and it decreased with the increase of it in the case of EGCG. EGCG in this range was considered to enter into the interior of the membrane and break the structure, which causes the decrease of 16NS. Observation with transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that the size of the liposome became larger with the increasing concentration of EGCG and finally it was broken into fragments, showing that EGCG broadened the area of the liposome as expected from the result of ESR.     

The Dual Action of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), the Main Constituent of Green Tea, against the Deleterious Effects of Visible Light and Singlet Oxygen-Generating Conditions as Seen in Yeast Cells

Green tea extracts (GTEs) as well as their main component, the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), are known for their versatile antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumoral or anti-inflammatory effects. In spite of the huge beneficial action, there is increasing evidence that under certain conditions green tea and its components can be detrimental to living organisms. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with various defects in the response to oxidative stress, we found that GTEs or EGCG act in synergy with visible light, exhibiting either deleterious or protective effects depending on the solvent employed. Similar synergistic effects could be observed under singlet oxygen-generating conditions, such as light exposure in the presence of photosensitizers or UV-A irradiation, therefore solvent variance may represent a powerful tool to modulate the preparation of green tea extracts, depending on the intended target.     

Bioassay-guided purification and identification of antimicrobial components in Chinese green tea extract

The Chinese green tea extract was found to strongly inhibit the growth of major food-borne pathogens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium DT104, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and a diarrhoea food-poisoning pathogen Bacillus cereus, by 44-100% with the highest activity found against S. aureus and lowest against E. coli O157:H7. A bioassay-guided fractionation technique was used for identifying the principal active component. A simple and efficient reversed-phase high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) method was developed for the separation and purification of four bioactive polyphenol compounds, epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin (EC), and caffeine (CN). The structures of these polyphenols were confirmed with mass spectrometry. Among the four compounds, ECG and EGCG were the most active, particularly EGCG against S. aureus. EGCG had the lowest MIC90 values against S. aureus (MSSA) (58 mg/L) and its methicilin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (37 mg/L). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed that these two compounds altered bacterial cell morphology, which might have resulted from disturbed cell division. This study demonstrated a direct link between the antimicrobial activity of tea and its specific polyphenolic compositions. The activity of tea polyphenols, particularly EGCG on antibiotics-resistant strains of S. aureus, suggests that these compounds are potential natural alternatives for the control of bovine mastitis and food poisoning caused by S. aureus.     

Enantioselective synthesis of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the active polyphenol component from green tea

[reaction: see text]. Enantioselective synthesis of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, 3b), the active polyphenol component from green tea, has been achieved by using a stereospecific cyclization of the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation product 7c as the key step.     

改性木粉填充柱对茶多酚与咖啡因分离应用的研究

用乙基纤维素、己二酸和丙烯酰胺制成浆液改性剂,对木粉进行改性.研究对比了木粉在改性前后对茶多酚(TP)与咖啡因(Caf)的分离效果.研究结果表明,已改性的木粉对TP中3种主要成分(EGC,EGCG和ECG)与Caf的分离效果优于未改性木粉.改性后的木粉可用于TP各组分与Caf分离时的前处理.通过该前处理可将绿茶提取液分离为两部分:一部分主要由咖啡因和表没食子儿茶素(EGC)组成,另一部分主要由表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(EGC)和表儿茶素没食子酸酯(ECG)组成.