| Disease | HUMAN SALIVARY TEA CATECHIN LEVELS WERE INVESTIGATED FOLLOWING ORAL CONSUMPTION OF A GREEN TEA INFUSION. AFTER DRINKING GREEN TEA PREPARATIONS EQUIVALENT TO 2-3 CUPS OF TEA, PEAK SALIVA LEVELS OF EGC (11.7-43.9 MCG/ML), EGCG (4.8-22 MCG/ML), AND
EC (1.8-7.5 MCG/ML) WERE OBSERVED AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES IN SIX HUMAN VOLUNTEERS. THESE RECORDED LEVSLS WERE TWO ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE HIGHER THAN THOSE IN THE PLASMA, ALTHOUGH THE T1/2 OF SALIVARY CATECHINS LEVELS. HOLDING A TEA SOLUTION IN THE
MOUTH FOR A FEW MINUTES WITHOUT SWALLOWING PRODUCED EVEN HIGHER SALIVARY CATECHINS LEVELS. HOLDING AN EGEC SOLUTION THE MOUTH RESULTED IN EGCG AND EGCV IN THE SALIVA, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, EGC IN THE URINE, SUGGESTING EGCG WAS CONVERTED TO EGC IN
THE SALIVA AND SUBSEQUENTLY, EGC IN THE URINE, SUGGESTING EGCG WAS CONVERTED TO EGE IN THE ORAL CAVITY AND THAT BOTH CATECHINS WERE ABSORBED THROUGH THE ORAL MUCOSA. A CATECHIN ESTERASE WHICH ONVERTS EGCG TO EGC WAS FOUND IN THE SALIVA; HOWEVER,
THE ACTIVITY OF THIS ENZYME WAS NOT INHIBITED BY A COMMON HUMAN ESTERASE INHIBITOR. WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS TOOK A CAPSULE OF GREEN TEA SOLIDS THERE WERE NO DETECTABLE SALIVARY LEVELS OF CATEHCINS. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY SUGGEST SLOW DRINKING OF
GREEN TEA IS A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY TO DELIVER HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF CATECHINS TO THE ORAL EAVITY AND ESOPHAGUS. |