Epicatechin from green tea reduces taurine excretion

J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Jul 2;51(14):4139-45. Related Articles, Links
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    NMR-based metabonomic studies on the biochemical effects of 
epicatechin in the rat.

    Solanky KS, Bailey NJ, Holmes E, Lindon JC, Davis AL, Mulder TP, Van 
Duynhoven JP, Nicholson JK.

    Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming 
Building, Imperial College of Science, University of London, United 
Kingdom.

    Flavonoid consumption via tea drinking has been attributed a number 
of potential health benefits including cancer prevention, 
anti-inflammatory action, and cardioprotectant activity. Although the 
predominant flavonoids in fresh leaf and green tea are known to be 
flavan-3-ols and flavan-3-O-gallates ("the catechins"), the biochemical 
effects of tea polyphenol consumption on living systems are generally 
poorly understood. Metabonomic methods utilizing (1)H NMR spectroscopy 
of biofluids and principal component analysis (PCA) have been applied to 
investigate the bioavailability and metabolic responses of rats to a 
single dose of 22 mg of epicatechin (EC) dissolved in water. Urine 
samples were collected twice daily (0-8 and 8-24 h) from male 
Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 10) prior to dosing and for 2 days after 
dosing. A series of subtle urinary biochemical effects were evident from 
the (1)H NMR spectra showing that EC was both bioavailable and 
biochemically active. The identifiable biochemical effects associated 
with EC dosing included decreased urinary concentrations of taurine, 
citrate, dimethylamine, and 2-oxoglutarate. These effects were 
predominately seen within the first 8 h after dosing. EC metabolites 
were also observed in the urine during this time period. PCA of later 
time points after dosing (24-32 and 32-48 h) showed that the effects of 
EC were reversible. This is the first in vivo study demonstrating the 
overall endogenous metabolic effects of EC consumption and shows the 
bioavailability of EC via metabolic effects and excretion of EC 
metabolites.

    PMID: 12822959 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]