Effects of the green tea catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate on S planktonic cultures and biofilms: systematic literature review of studies.

This study aimed at performing a systematic review of the literature on the effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on planktonic cultures and biofilms. The selected references demonstrated that EGCG suppresses acid production by inhibiting the activity of enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase and FIF0-ATPase. Regarding virulence factors, one study reported a reduction in soluble and insoluble polysaccharide synthesis, another demonstrated that EGCG inhibited GTase activity, and another showed effects of EGCG on the expression of B, C, and D. The effects of EGCG on biofilms were reported only by 2 of the selected studies. Moreover, high variability in effective concentrations and microbial assessment methods were observed. The literature suggests that EGCG has effects against planktonic cells viability and virulence factors. However, the literature lacks studies with appropriate biofilm models to evaluate the precise effectiveness of EGCG against biofilms.