Modulation of Inflammatory Responses by Green and Black Tea Extracts in LPS‐Induced RAW 264.7 Cells

Abstract

Tea is produced from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Tea polyphenols are thought to have chemopreventive and cardioprotective effects due to their ability to suppress inflammation. The goal of this study is to measure markers of inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ‐ stimulated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells in the presence or absence of varying concentrations of green tea (GT) and black tea (BT) to determine their effects on the inflammatory response. Tea phenolic contents were measured using the Folin‐Ciocalteu reagent (GT had a higher total phenol content than BT). Cell viability was assessed using the Trypan Blue and MTT assays. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration was determined by ELISA (GT and BT increased PGE2 formation relative to controls.). The BCA assay was done to determine total protein concentration for Western blotting. The presence of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) will be detected with Western Blotting. Based on preliminary data, we predict that the teas will modify the inflammatory response, and that GT will have a greater effect than BT due to differences in tea composition. This project was supported by the State of North Carolina.