Tea is an extremely common beverage in people's lives. In addition to its many preventive effects against human diseases, it also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. As early as over 1,000 years ago during the Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese medical texts recorded numerous instances where tea could kill bacteria and stop Dysentery. Early medical books contain many compound formulas for treating dysentery and cholera. With the continuous advancement of scientific research, the antibacterial and antiviral effects of tea have gradually been revealed, and they have achieved good application results in areas such as drug development, food preservation, and daily chemical products.
☀ Inhibitory Effect of Tea on Influenza Virus
The components in tea, such as tea polyphenols, catechins, and theaflavins, have shown significant inhibitory effects on influenza viruses and possess potential pharmaceutical development value.
☀ Inhibitory Effect of Tea on Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus that infects human immune system cells. Research has found that when the concentration of EGCG is greater than 10 μmol/L, it can reduce the affinity of viral protease for its substrate. Derivatives of theaflavins can be considered as candidate microbicides to prevent the transmission of HIV, with pharmaceutical development potential.
☀ Inhibitory Effect of Tea on Hepatitis B Virus
Tea extracts have shown good inhibitory effects on hepatitis B virus (HBV). Green tea extract can inhibit HBV replication at various stages and is an effective anti-hepatitis B virus component. Existing studies show that extracts from green tea, white tea, and Pu'er tea have inhibitory effects on hepatitis B virus. Compared to green tea extract, the single component EGCG has slightly weaker inhibitory effects on hepatitis B virus.
☀ Inhibitory Effect of Tea on Herpesviruses
Research has found that catechins and their derivatives all have antiviral activity against herpesviruses. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a type of herpesvirus and is an extrinsic pathogenic factor closely related to the development of multiple types of tumors.
☀ Inhibitory Effect of Tea on Other Viruses
EGCG can combat adenoviruses through various mechanisms within cells. Additionally, studies have found that compared to green tea and Oolong tea, the aqueous extracts of Pu'er tea and Black Tea can significantly inhibit the 3CLPro protease activity of the SARS virus, inhibiting viral replication in hosts and demonstrating strong antiviral effects. There are already relatively successful antiviral drugs on the market that use tea extracts as the main active ingredient. For example, because green tea catechins have good therapeutic effects on genital warts, in 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the natural plant-based drug (catechin drug) for treating genital warts, named Veregen.
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