Green Tea For Nerve Cells

In search of vegetable preparations for nervous system diseases prophylaxis and treatment Russian researchers have turned to green tea. Specialists of the Kuban State University, the Kuban Research-and-Production Laboratory of Physiologically Active Substances and the Institute of Brain (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences) have discovered that ethanolic extract of green tea stimulates spinal cord neurons’ regeneration.

Spinal ganglia were cultivated in nutrient medium. Dry extract in different concentrations was added to the medium. The researchers judged on neurons’ state and their capacity for regeneration by the number and length of nerve cell processes. The length and number of processes account for the ‘quality of communication’ between neurons and ultimately the ability of the nervous system section to fulfill its functions. The ability to restore bonds is the rate of cells’ resistance to neurodegenerative diseases, for example, ischemia or Parkinson’s disease.

The green tea extract had the most apparent stimulatory action in concentration of 0.004-0.006 percent. On the second day of cultivation, the number of cell processes started to grow as compared to the background ones, and then the length of cell processes began to increase. On the fourth day of experiment, the difference between the background and experimental groups was maximum both in terms of processes number and length. On the fifth day, the green tea extract effect disappeared.

Lower concentrations of the preparation also change the growth characteristics of spinal cord neurons, but not to a great extent. Overdoing with green tea makes no good. Double increase of extract concentration would not give any effect whatsoever, but when the concentration was increased by 10 times as compared to the optimal one, 85 percent of cells died. The remaining neurons had almost no processes.

Previously, the Kuban physicians had showed that extracts of the Baikal scullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) had the same effect on nervous cells’ regeneration. However, tea is a more widespread plant. Apparently, healing power of green tea is caused by high antioxidant content – flavonoids, polyphenols, as well as theanine and vitamins.

Results of the investigation carried out by the Krasnodar scientists, who were the first to demonstrate the stimulatory action of green tea extract on nerve cells’ regeneration have been contributed by findings of researchers from other countries. It is known that theanine injection into ventricles of brain of Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) prevents destruction of brain neurons in case of ischemia. Intraperitoneal injection of polyphenols also protects nerve cells. Various components of green tea prevent development of laboratory Parkinson’s disease with mice.

Green tea belongs to the group of food substances that avert the nitric oxide abundant synthesis, which can be the cause of neurodegenerative diseases. Of undoubted interest are the recent investigations by foreign researchers that showed anticarcinogenic effect of tea polyphenols. However, there are no sufficient clinical data to prove this effect, therefore investigations in this area need to be continued. Naturally, the researchers working in the capital of the Russian tea cannot stay aside from that.