NTNU Team Finding Out that Green Tea Polyphenol Catechins Inhibit Coronavirus Replication Published on Antioxidants
The research team of the Founding Deam of the School of Life Science Chien Chiang Ting published recent results and discovered the research of the virus activity. Polyphenol catechins extracted from green tea can inhibit virus replication, strengthen the immune mechanism and improve various acute lung destruction. It can be used as a tool to prevent the spread of the virus and can effectively reduce the symptoms disease. The paper was published on journal Antioxidants in July.
Professor Chiang’s research team stated on August 19 that when the concentration of catechins reaches more than 195 micrograms per milliliter (195 μg/ml), they can effectively inhibit the replication of the coronavirus. The reason is that this type of catechins can inhibit the coronavirus replicase, which is related to virus replication and infection. In addition, the results of animal experiments also show that polyphenol catechins can effectively treat lung injury and reduce immune storm and other symptoms.
Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, Chien Chiang Ting has conducted more than 17 years of research on catechins and found that polyphenol catechins can have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial. In 2007, the research team used decaffeinated catechin group health supplements to conduct human clinical trials on anti-inflammatory and anti-vascular sclerosis in patients with kidney dialysis, and published it on the top American clinical nutrition journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .
Now with raging epidemic, the anti-coronavirus effect of the polyphenol catechin group has been verified again. It can bind to the spine protein of the virus and successfully inhibit virus replication. Chien said that if it can be used for immediate prevention and treatment, or even developed into as medicine, the risk and cost are reduced can and the development time is short, which meets the need of current situation with shortage of vaccines.