Review on Pro-oxidative Properties of EGCG on Cell

EGCG, which is the most abundant catechin in tea, has been demonstrated to possess a wide range of biochemical and pharmacological activities. Recent investigations have revealed that EGCG functions as a pro-oxidant. In this review, we discussed the pro-oxidative mechanism of EGCG in cell culture. Auto-oxidation of EGCG, influenced by the media types, dose-and time-dependent of EGCG addition, contents of serum and p H value etc., forms environmental oxidative stress in cell medium. Furthermore, EGCG produce intracellular ROS and mt ROS, and trigger the Fenton reaction to create OH-indirectly. In particular, pro-oxidation of EGCG regulate intracellular transcription factors, signalling pathways, and cell surface receptor to exert many biological actions in cell.