National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
Parasitology. 2010 Apr;137(5):785-91. doi: 10.1017/S0031182009991594. Epub 2009 Dec 22.
(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the major tea catechin and accounts for 50-80% of the total catechin in green tea. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-trypanocidal activities. This report describes the inhibitory effect of (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate on the in vitro growth of bovine Babesia parasites and the in vivo growth of the mouse-adapted rodent babesia B. microti. The in vitro growth of the Babesia species was significantly (P<0.05) inhibited in the presence of micromolar concentrations of EGCG (IC50 values=18 and 25 microM for B. bovis, and B. bigemina, respectively). The parasites showed no re-growth at 25 microM for B. bovis and B. bigemina in the subsequent viability test. The drug significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the growth of B. microti at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight, and the parasites completely cleared on day 14 and 16 post-inoculation in the 5 and 10 mg/kg treated groups, respectively. These findings highlight the potentiality of (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of babesiosis.
(-)-表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯（EGCG）是茶儿茶素的主要成分，占绿茶中总儿茶素的 50-80%。(-)-表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯具有抗氧化、抗炎、抗菌、抗癌和抗锥虫活性。本报告描述了(-)-表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯对牛巴贝斯虫寄生虫体外生长和适应小鼠的巴贝斯虫 B. microti 体内生长的抑制作用。在存在毫摩尔浓度的 EGCG 时，巴贝斯虫属的体外生长明显（P<0.05）受到抑制（IC50 值分别为 18 和 25 microM 用于 B. bovis 和 B. bigemina）。在随后的生存力测试中，25 microM 时寄生虫没有重新生长。该药物在 5 和 10 mg/kg 体重剂量下显著（P<0.05）抑制 B. microti 的生长，在 5 和 10 mg/kg 治疗组中，寄生虫分别在接种后第 14 天和第 16 天完全清除。这些发现强调了(-)-表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯作为治疗巴贝斯虫病的化学治疗药物的潜力。
