Enhancing the effect of catechins with green tea flavonol and polysaccharides on preventing lipid absorption and accumulation

The hypothesis of the current study was that flavonol and polysaccharides obtained during catechins extraction from green tea may enhance the effect of catechins on preventing pancreatic lipase activity, free glycerol absorption and accumulation in adipocytes co-cultured with Caco-2 cell after in vitro digestion. Catechins rich extract from green tea (GCT: 10 mg), GCT formulated with polysaccharides (GTP: 1 mg) and flavonol extract (GFV: 0.1 mg) strongly inhibited lipase activity during digestion while increasing lipolysis in adipocytes. Lipid accumulation in adipocytes was significantly reduced in GCT (10 mg) + GTP (1 mg) + GFV (1 mg) (100–87.27%) compared to control (p < 0.05). When targeted single flavonols (myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol) were added into catechins in GCT (EGCG), the lipid accumulation in adipocyte ranged from 82.07 to 89.11% of control. EGCG (3 mg) + Quercetin (0.3 mg) transported the lowest amount of glycerol (2.18 ± 0.18 mM) in aqueous fraction from the digesta to the Caco-2 cell. Results from the current study suggested that co-consumption of catechin rich green tea extracts with by-products including flavonols and polysaccharides obtained during green tea processing could be potential natural components on anti-obesity by preventing lipid intestinal absorption and accumulation in adipocytes.