Catechins and Theaflavins: An Overview on Therapeutic Application

Abstract

Flavonoids are a sort of natural substance which are basically plant secondary metabolites having a polyphenolic structure present in a wide range of food products. Flavonoids have become a vital constituent in nutraceutical, pharmacological, therapeutic, and cosmetic fields. This is owing to their capability to regulate essential cellular enzyme activity along with anti-cancer, anti-oxidative, anti-mutagenic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Through the revelation of a minimal cardiovascular death rate and the deterrence of CHD, research on flavonoids has gotten a boost. The functional mechanisms of flavonoids are still not completely known. Molecular docking and bioinformatics information are also been used to forecast potential flavonoid functions. Flavonoids are divided into several categories. Catechins and Theaflavins (TF’s) are two types of flavonoids that have been discussed in this review. ROS scavenging property of tea catechins and polyphenols have been demonstrated in vitro, and they may also serve as indirect antioxidants via their influence on transcription features and enzyme actions. There are a number of antioxidant polyphenols called collectively as “theaflavins” that are produced during the enzymatic oxidation (sometimes referred to mistakenly as “fermentation”) of black tea leaves by flavan-3-ol condensation Theaflavin-3-gallate, theaflavin-3’-gallate, and theaflavin-3-3’-digallate are the major theaflavins.