Sun Qing, Chen Xiaojuan, Zhang Jie, Song Juan, Yao Lan, Zhao Yang, Yang Guang, Wang Xiu, Liang Haizhen, Ma Baiping
Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China.
Molecules. 2025 Feb 23;30(5):1024. doi: 10.3390/molecules30051024.
Tea polyphenols, the primary bioactive constituents responsible for the various health benefits of tea, can be categorized into different subgroups according to their structural characteristics. However, the distinctions in antiviral activity among the diverse types of polyphenolic compounds remain unexplored. In the present study, fifty-eight tea polyphenols with varied structures, including eleven undescribed compounds, were isolated from Rougui Wuyi rock tea. Their molecular structures were elucidated using comprehensive analytical approaches of NMR, HRMS, CD spectroscopic data and acid hydrolysis. The isolated polyphenol analogs could be structurally classified into two main categories: flavan-3-ols, which include catechins, flavoalkaloids, procyanidins and theasinensins, and flavones, encompassing kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, and their respective glycosides. The inhibitory activities of fifty-eight tea polyphenols against 3CLpro were assessed in vitro, and eighteen phenolic compounds exhibited inhibitory effects on 3CLpro, with IC values ranging from 9.8 μM to 61.1 μM. Among them, two types of tea polyphenols, catechin and flavoalkaloid derivatives, demonstrated superior inhibitory effects compared to other categories. The structure-activity relationship was further explored, and molecular docking analysis revealed that the differing inhibitory effects of catechin and flavoalkaloid derivatives were attributed to the variations in the number and positions of the hydrogen bond interactions with 3CLpro. This study provides a valuable understanding of tea polyphenols and supplies potential lead compounds for antiviral drugs.
茶多酚是茶叶具有多种健康益处的主要生物活性成分，可根据其结构特征分为不同的亚组。然而，不同类型多酚化合物之间的抗病毒活性差异仍未得到探索。在本研究中，从肉桂武夷岩茶中分离出58种结构各异的茶多酚，其中包括11种未描述的化合物。使用核磁共振（NMR）、高分辨质谱（HRMS）、圆二色光谱（CD）数据和酸水解等综合分析方法阐明了它们的分子结构。分离出的多酚类似物在结构上可分为两大类：黄烷-3-醇，包括儿茶素、黄酮生物碱、原花青素和茶黄素；黄酮类，包括山奈酚、槲皮素、杨梅素及其各自的糖苷。在体外评估了58种茶多酚对3CL蛋白酶的抑制活性，18种酚类化合物对3CL蛋白酶表现出抑制作用，其半数抑制浓度（IC）值在9.8 μM至61.1 μM之间。其中，儿茶素和黄酮生物碱衍生物这两类茶多酚表现出比其他类别更优异的抑制效果。进一步探索了构效关系，分子对接分析表明，儿茶素和黄酮生物碱衍生物不同的抑制作用归因于与3CL蛋白酶氢键相互作用的数量和位置的变化。本研究为了解茶多酚提供了有价值的信息，并为抗病毒药物提供了潜在的先导化合物。
