Green Teas major antioxidant EGCG fights bird flu virus

Viral researchers at the School of Medicine, Wuhan University investigated the effects of Green Teas major antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) on the influenza A virus in vitro and in vivo (the bird flu virus). EGCG WAS administered to cells in three different ways (method I: administration before infection, method II: administration upon infection, and method III: administration after infection) to treat the infectious model in vitro on cells in a laboratory. The anti-viral activity in vivo was performed on BALB/c mice, which were divided to receive EGCG. The mean survival days and the pulmonary pathological lesions of the infected mice were observed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of EGCG.  

EGCG effectively inhibited influenza A virus in vitro. The death rate and pulmonary pathological lesions were decreased, and the mean survival days were prolonged by oral administration of EGCG in the mice infected by influenza A virus. The researchers concluded that EGCG has a strong effect against influenza A H1 N1 virus in vitro and in vivo, in a dose-dependent manner meaning the higher the dosage the better the effect. The study results are published in the November 2008 issue of the China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica.