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Salivary hydrogen peroxide produced by holding or chewing green tea in the oral cavity.

Lambert JD, Kwon SJ, Hong J, Yang CS

Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Piscataway, NJ. USA.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) catechins have been studied for disease prevention. These compounds undergo oxidation and produce H(2)O(2). We have previously shown that holding tea solution or chewing tea leaves generates high salivary catechin levels. Herein, we examined the generation of H(2)O(2) in the oral cavity by green tea solution or leaves. Human volunteers holding green tea solution (0.1-0.6%) developed salivary H(2)O(2) with C(max) = 2.9-9.6 muM and AUC(0 --> infinity) = 8.5-285.3 muM min. Chewing 2 g green tea leaves produced higher levels of H(2)O(2) (C(max) = 31.2 muM, AUC(0 --> infinity) = 1290.9 muM min). Salivary H(2)O(2) correlated with catechin levels and with predicted levels of H(2)O(2) (C(max(expected)) = 36 muM vs C(max(determined)) = 31.2 muM). Salivary H(2)O(2) and catechin concentrations were similar to those that are biologically active in vitro. Catechin-generated H(2)O(2) may, therefore, have a role in disease prevention by green tea.

Published 19 June 2007 in Free Radic Res, 41(7): 850-3.
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