EGCg increases mean lifespan of C. elegans worms
Another report on the life-extending properties of green tea emanating from the University of Heidelberg in Germany.
I’m pretty sure this has been covered before, but nonetheless, here’s their abstract. I don’t have access to this journal, Planta Medica, unfortunately, so I can’t tell if it had any effect on maximum lifespan, but since it wasn’t reported in the abstract I assume it didn’t.
Planta Med. 2008 Dec 11; PMID: 19085685
Abbas S, Wink M.
Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a major green tea polyphenol with pronounced antioxidative activity. The effects of EGCG on lifespan and stress resistance in wild-type N2 and transgenic strains of CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS [ HSP-16.2/GFP, MEV-1(KN1), FEM-1(HC17)] were investigated. The expression of HSP-16.2 (induced by the pro-oxidant juglone) and the intracellular levels of H (2)O (2) were inhibited by EGCG treatment. Daily administration of 220 muM EGCG increased the mean lifespan by 10.14 % and 14.27 % in N2 and FEM-1(HC17) strains, respectively, and 55 muM EGCG increased the mean lifespan in MEV-1(KN1) by 16.11 %. The survival rate was also increased under lethal oxidative stress by 65.05 %. These findings suggest that the increased mean lifespan and stress resistance in C. ELEGANS apparently depend, among other factors, on the antioxidant properties of EGCG.