Shengmin Sang

Hepatotoxicity of high oral dose (―)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate in mice

The tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been studied for chronic disease preventive effects, and is marketed as part of many dietary supplements. However, case-reports have associated the use of green tea-based supplements with liver toxicity. We studied the hepatotoxic effects of high dose EGCG in male CF-1 mice. A single dose of EGCG (1500 mg/kg, i.g.) increased plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) by 138-fold and reduced survival by 85%. Once-daily dosing with EGCG increased hepatotoxic response. Plasma ALT levels were increased 184-fold following two once-daily doses of 750 mg/kg, i.g. EGCG. Moderate to severe hepatic necrosis was observed following treatment with EGCG. EGCG hepatotoxicity was associated with oxidative stress including increased hepatic lipid peroxidation (5-fold increase), plasma 8-isoprostane (9.5-fold increase) and increased hepatic metallothionein and gamma-histone 2AX protein expression. EGCG also increased plasma interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Our results indicate that higher bolus doses of EGCG are hepatotoxic to mice. Further studies on the dose-dependent hepatotoxic effects of EGCG and the underlying mechanisms are important given the increasing use of green tea dietary supplements, which may deliver much higher plasma and tissue concentrations of EGCG than tea beverages.

The chemistry and biotransformation of tea constituents.

Tea (Camellia sinensis, Theaceae) is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. The three major types of tea, green tea, oolong tea, and black tea, differ in terms of the manufacture and chemical composition. There are numerous studies in humans, animal models, and cell lines to suggest potential health benefits from the consumption of tea, including prevention of cancer and heart diseases. Many of the health benefits have been attributed to the polyphenolic constituents in tea. Catechins and their dimers (theaflavins) and polymers (thearubigins) have been identified as the major components in tea. Methylation, glucuronidation, sulfation, and ring-fission metabolism represent the major metabolic pathways for tea catechins. The present review summarizes the data concerning the chemistry and biotransformation of tea constituents.

Antioxidative and anti-carcinogenic activities of tea polyphenols

Tea (Camellia sinensis, Theaceace), a popular beverage consumed world-wide, has been studied for its preventive effects against cancer as well as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and other diseases. Most of the proposed beneficial effects have been attributed to the polyphenolic compounds in tea, but the nature of these activities and the molecular mechanisms of their actions remain unclear. Tea polyphenols are known to be strong antioxidants. Prevention of oxidative stress, modulation of carcinogen metabolism, and prevention of DNA damage have been suggested as possible cancer preventive mechanisms for tea and tea polyphenols. In this chapter, we discuss these topics in the light of biotransformation and bioavailability of tea polyphenols. We also review the preventive effects of tea polyphenols in animal models of carcinogenesis and some of the possible post-initiation mechanisms of action. Finally, we discuss the effects of tea consumption on cancer risk in humans. It is our aim to raise some of the unanswered questions regarding cancer prevention by tea and to stimulate further research in this area.

Quercetin Inhibits Advanced Glycation End Product Formation by Trapping Methylglyoxal and Glyoxal

Methylglyoxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO) not only are endogenous metabolites but also exist in exogenous resources, such as foods, beverages, urban atmosphere, and cigarette smoke. They have been identified as reactive dicarbonyl precursors of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which have been associated with diabetes-related long-term complications. In this study, quercetin, a natural flavonol found in fruits, vegetables, leaves, and grains, could effectively inhibit the formation of AGEs in a dose-dependent manner via trapping reactive dicarbonyl compounds. More than 50.5% of GO and 80.1% of MGO were trapped at the same time by quercetin within 1 h under physiological conditions. Quercetin and MGO (or GO) were combined at different ratios, and the products generated from this reaction were analyzed with LC-MS. Both mono-MGO and di-MGO adducts of quercetin were detected in this assay using LC-MS, but only tiny amounts of mono-GO adducts of quercetin were found. Additionally, di-MGO adducts were observed as the dominant product with prolonged incubation time. In the bovine serum albumin (BSA)-MGO/GO system, quercetin traps MGO and GO directly and then significantly inhibits the formation of AGEs.

6‐Shogaol is more effective than 6‐gingerol and curcumin in inhibiting 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate‐induced tumor promotion in mice

We previously reported that 6-shogaol strongly suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced overexpression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in murine macrophages. In this study, we further compared curcumin, 6-gingerol, and 6-shogaols molecular mechanism of action and their anti-tumor properties. We demonstrate that topical application of 6-shogaol more effectively inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-stimulated transcription of iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression in mouse skin than curcumin and 6-gingerol. Pretreatment with 6-shogaol has resulted in the reduction of TPA-induced nuclear translocation of the nuclear factor-kappaB subunits. 6-Shogaol also reduced TPA-induced phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha and p65, and caused subsequent degradation of IkappaBalpha. Moreover, 6-shogaol markedly suppressed TPA-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulate kinase1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, JNK1/2, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, which are upstream of nuclear factor-kappaB and AP-1. Furthermore, 6-shogaol significantly inhibited 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene/TPA-induced skin tumor formation measured by the tumor multiplicity of papillomas at 20 wk. Presented data reveal for the first time that 6-shogaol is an effective anti-tumor agent that functions by down-regulating inflammatory iNOS and COX-2 gene expression in mouse skin. It is suggested that 6-shogaol is a novel functional agent capable of preventing inflammation-associated tumorigenesis.

Anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects of cysteine metabolites of the green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been shown to have cancer preventive activity in vitro and in vivo. We have previously shown that EGCG can undergo conjugation to cysteine to form 2-cysteinyl-EGCG and 2-cysteinyl-EGCG. Studies of thiol-conjugated metabolites of methamphetamine indicate that such metabolites are not detoxified but retain biological activity. Here, we examined the growth inhibitory, pro-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of the cysteine metabolites of EGCG. Both compounds dose-dependently inhibited the growth of colon cancer and intestinal cell lines. Both metabolites prevented aberrant arachidonic acid release and nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Under cell culture conditions, 2-cysteinyl-EGCG produced H2O2 at a faster rate than EGCG. The results of the present study show that cysteine conjugates of EGCG retain the growth inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, and pro-oxidant activities of EGCG in vitro and may play a role in disease prevention in vivo. These results remain to be confirmed in vivo.

Essential Structural Requirements and Additive Effects for Flavonoids to Scavenge Methylglyoxal

Reactive dicarbonyl species, such as methylglyoxal (MGO), are considered as the major precursors of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are believed to be one of the physiological causes of diabetes and its complications. Scavenging of reactive dicarbonyl species using naturally occurring flavonoids has been proposed as an effective way to prevent diabetic complications. To elucidate the structural requirements of flavonoids in scavenging MGO, seven flavonoids (quercetin, luteolin, epicatechin, genistein, daidzein, apigenin, and phloretin) and five sub-components of the flavonoids (gallic acid, phloroglucinol, pyrogallol, pyrocatechol, and resorcinol) were examined in this study. Our results showed the following: (1) 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene (pyrogallol) has higher MGO scavenging activity than 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene and 1,2- and 1,3-dihydroxybenzene, and substitution at position 5 of pyrogallol diminished the scavenging activity, indicating that position 5 is the active site of pyrogallol; (2) the A ring is the active site of flavonoids in contributing the MGO-trapping efficacy, and the hydroxyl group at C-5 on the A ring enhances the trapping efficacy; (3) the double bond between C-2 and C-3 on the C ring could facilitate the trapping efficacy; and (4) the number of hydroxyl groups on the B ring does not significantly influence the trapping efficacy. In addition, we found there is an additive effect in MGO trapping by two common flavonoids, quercetin and phloretin, indicating that flavonoid-enriched foods and beverages hold great promise to prevent the development of diabetic complications.

Peracetylated (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (AcEGCG) Potently Suppresses Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis and Colon Tumorigenesis in Mice

Previous studies reported that peracetylated (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (AcEGCG) has antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities. Here, we evaluated the chemopreventive effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of dietary administration of AcEGCG and EGCG in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. The mice were fed a diet supplemented with either AcEGCG or EGCG prior to DSS induction. Our results indicated that AcEGCG administration was more effective than EGCG in preventing the shortening of colon length and the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and lymphoid nodules (LN) in mouse colon stimulated by DSS. Our study observes that AcEGCG treatment inhibited histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) acetylation but did not affect histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity and acetyl- CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300 levels. In addition, pretreatment with AcEGCG decreased the proinflammatory mediator levels by down-regulating of PI3K/Akt/NFκB phosphorylation and p65 acetylation. We also found that treatment with AcEGCG increased heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) expression via activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)1/2 signaling and acetylation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), thereby abating DSS-induced colitis. Moreover, dietary feeding with AcEGCG markedly reduced colitis-driven colon cancer in mice. Taken together, these results demonstrated for the first time the in vivo chemopreventive efficacy and molecular mechanisms of dietary AcEGCG against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and potentially colon cancer associated with colitis. These findings provide insight into the biological actions of AcEGCG and might establish a molecular basis for the development of new cancer chemopreventive agents.

Metabolism of [6]-Shogaol in Mice and in Cancer Cells

Ginger has received extensive attention because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activities. However, the metabolic fate of its major components is still unclear. In the present study, the metabolism of [6]-shogaol, one of the major active components in ginger, was examined for the first time in mice and in cancer cells. Thirteen metabolites were detected and identified, seven of which were purified from fecal samples collected from [6]-shogaol-treated mice. Their structures were elucidated as 1-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-4-decen-3-ol (M6), 5-methoxy-1-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-decan-3-one (M7), 3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl-decan-3-one (M8), 1-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-decan-3-ol (M9), 5-methylthio-1-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-decan-3-one (M10), 1-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-decan-3-one (M11), and 5-methylthio-1-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-decan-3-ol (M12) on the basis of detailed analysis of their 1H, 13C, and two-dimensional NMR data. The rest of the metabolites were identified as 5-cysteinyl-M6 (M1), 5-cysteinyl-[6]-shogaol (M2), 5-cysteinylglycinyl-M6 (M3), 5-N-acetylcysteinyl-M6 (M4), 5-N-acetylcysteinyl-[6]-shogaol (M5), and 5-glutathiol-[6]-shogaol (M13) by analysis of the MSn (n = 1–3) spectra and comparison to authentic standards. Among the metabolites, M1 through M5, M10, M12, and M13 were identified as the thiol conjugates of [6]-shogaol and its metabolite M6. M9 and M11 were identified as the major metabolites in four different cancer cell lines (HCT-116, HT-29, H-1299, and CL-13), and M13 was detected as a major metabolite in HCT-116 human colon cancer cells. We further showed that M9 and M11 are bioactive compounds that can inhibit cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis in human cancer cells. Our results suggest that 1) [6]-shogaol is extensively metabolized in these two models, 2) its metabolites are bioactive compounds, and 3) the mercapturic acid pathway is one of the major biotransformation pathways of [6]-shogaol.

5-alk(en)ylresorcinols as the major active components in wheat bran inhibit human colon cancer cell growth.

We and others have found that wheat bran oil is the active constituent in wheat bran for colon cancer prevention. However, the active components in wheat bran oil are still unknown. Using human colon cancer cells (HCT-116 and HT-29) as the guiding assays, we further purified the active components from wheat bran using column chromatography. In this study, we identified that a fraction containing 5-n-alk(en)ylresorcinols had the strongest inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cells. Further purification led to the identification of 14 5-alk(en)ylresorcinols. Among them, 7, (10Z,13Z,16Z)-5-(nonadeca-10,13,16-trienyl)resorcinol, is a novel compound and 5, 6, 9, 10, and 13 were purified as individual compounds for the first time. The identification and structural elucidation of these compounds were based on 1D and 2D NMR and tandem mass spectral analyses. All these compounds (1-14) except 10 were evaluated for growth inhibition of human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29). Our results indicate that increasing the length of the side chain will diminish the inhibitory activity, and the existence of a double bond and a carbonyl group will strengthen such an activity.