Green tea compound could benefit memory and help tackle obesity

02 Aug 2017 --- A component in green tea could have beneficial effects on memory, brain insulin resistance and tackling obesity, according to a study published online in The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal. The study, which involved mice, suggests that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant catechin and biologically active component in green tea, could alleviate high fat and high-fructose (HFFD)-induced insulin resistance and cognitive impairment.

Previous research had pointed to the potential of EGCG to treat a variety of human diseases, yet until now, EGCG's impact on insulin resistance and cognitive deficits triggered in the brain by a Western diet remained unclear, according to a FASEB press release.

“Green tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and is grown in at least 30 countries,” says Xuebo Liu, Ph.D., a researcher at the College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, in Yangling, China. “The ancient habit of drinking green tea may be a more acceptable alternative to medicine when it comes to combating obesity, insulin resistance and memory impairment.”

Liu and colleagues divided 3-month-old male common laboratory mice into three groups based on diet: the first was a control group fed with a standard diet; the second was a group fed with an HFFD diet; and the third was a group fed with an HFFD diet and 2 grams of EGCG per liter of drinking water. For 16 weeks, researchers monitored the mice and found that those fed with HFFD had a higher final body weight than the control mice, and also a significantly higher final body weight than the HFFD+EGCG mice.

When they performed a Morris water maze test to study spatial learning and memory, researchers found that mice in the HFFD group took longer to find the platform they needed to find compared to mice in the control group. The HFFD+EGCG group had a significantly lower escape latency and escape distance than the HFFD group on each test day.

The hidden platform was then removed to perform a probe trial in order to verify the mice’s understanding of the platform location and make them assess alternative strategies. HFFD-treated mice spent less time in the target quadrant when compared with control mice, with fewer platform crossings. The HFFD+EGCG group showed a significant increase in the average time spent in the target quadrant and had greater numbers of platform crossings, showing that EGCG could improve HFFD-induced memory impairment.

“Many reports, anecdotal and to some extent research-based, are now greatly strengthened by this more penetrating study,” says Thoru Pederson, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal.