Abstract
Airborne fine dust particles (FDPs) have been identified as major toxins in air pollution that threaten human respiratory health. While searching for an anti-FDP reagent, we found that green tea extract (GTE) and fractions rich in flavonol glycosides (FLGs) and crude tea polysaccharides (CTPs) had protective effects against FDP-stimulated cellular damage in the BEAS-2B airway epithelial cell line. The GTE, FLGs, and CTPs significantly increased viability and lowered oxidative stress levels in FDP-treated cells. Combined treatment with GTE, FLGs, and CTPs also exerted synergistic protective effects on cells and attenuated FDP-induced elevations in inflammatory gene expression. Moreover, the green tea components increased the proportion of ciliated cells and upregulated ciliogenesis in the airway in FDP-stimulated BEAS-2B cells. Our findings provide insights into how natural phytochemicals protect the airway and suggest that green tea could be used to reduce FDP-induced airway damage as an ingredient in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and also cosmeceutical products.
Highlights
Airborne fine dust particles (FDPs) have been identified as major toxins in air pollution that threaten human respiratory health
Previous studies have reported the protective effects of plant extracts and phenolic compounds against oxidative stress and inflammation induced by F DPs9, and we hypothesized that green tea components could exert potent protective effects against FDP-induced toxicity
We investigated the protective effects of green tea catechins, flavonols, and polysaccharides against FDP-induced airway cellular toxicity, oxidative stress, and cilia dysfunction using human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells) as an experimental model
Summary
Airborne fine dust particles (FDPs) have been identified as major toxins in air pollution that threaten human respiratory health. Because of the toxic effects of FDPs, removal of air pollutants via activation of MCC and attenuation of FDP-induced oxidative stress in airway cells via ROS scavenging are important. Green tea is an important dietary product that contains antioxidative molecules with cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities that protect cells from oxidative stress-induced a poptosis[7] Catechin compounds, such as (–)-epigallocatechin3-gallate (EGCG), act as radical scavengers and metal-chelating agents and play roles in various cellular processes; for example, they exert neuroprotective functions, regulate blood pressure, and protect against cardiovascular disease[8]. We investigated the protective effects of green tea catechins, flavonols, and polysaccharides against FDP-induced airway cellular toxicity, oxidative stress, and cilia dysfunction using human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells) as an experimental model
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