ROLE OF CATECHINS IN CANCER

Green tea catechins are major components of the polyphenols contained in green tea infusion. There is increasing interest in the biological effects of tea polyphenols and many studies in vivo and in vitro are demonstrating their antioxidant properties. Several theories have been put forward, including inhibition of UV-and tumor promoter- induced ornithine decarboxylase, cyclo-oxygenase, and activities, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity; enhancement of anti-oxidant (glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and quinone reductase) and phase II (glutathione-S-transferase) enzyme activities; inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and anti-inflammatory activity. These properties of tea polyphenols make them effective chemopreventive agents against the initation, promotion, and progression stages of multistage carcinogenesis.

Keywords: catechins, cancer protection, antioxidan