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Research ArticleArticle

Absorption, Distribution, and Elimination of Tea Polyphenols in Rats

Laishun Chen, Mao-Jung Lee, He Li and Chung S. Yang
Drug Metabolism and Disposition September 1997, 25 (9) 1045-1050;

Abstract

Tea polyphenols—including (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC), and (−)-epicatechin (EC)—are believed to be responsible for the beneficial effects of tea. This study was conducted to investigate the absorption, distribution, and elimination of EGCG, EGC, and EC in rats after administration of decaffeinated green tea (DGT). For comparison, pure EGCG was also studied. The plasma and tissue levels of EGCG, EGC, and EC were quantified by HPLC, and the results were analyzed by the PCNONLIN program. Following intravenous injection of DGT (25 mg/kg), the plasma concentration-time curves of EGCG, EGC, and EC were fitted in a two-compartment model. The β-elimination half-lives (t1/2β) were 212, 45, and 41 min for EGCG, EGC, and EC, respectively; the clearances were 2.0, 7.0, and 13.9 ml · min/kg, and the apparent distribution volumes (Vd ) were 1.5, 2.1, and 3.6 dl/kg. When pure EGCG (10 mg/kg) was given, however, a shortert1/2β (135 min), a larger clearance (72.5 ml · min/kg), and a larger Vd (22.5 dl/kg) for EGCG were observed, suggesting that other components in DGT could affect the plasma concentration and elimination of EGCG. After intragastric administration of DGT (200 mg/kg), ∼13.7% of EGC and 31.2% of EC were shown in the plasma, but only 0.1% of EGCG was bioavailable as judged by the ratio of AUCi.g./AUCi.v.. After intravenous administration of DGT (25 mg/kg), the level of EGCG was found to be the highest in the intestine samples, and the intestinal EGCG level declined with a t1/2 of 173 min. The highest levels of EGC and EC were observed in the kidney, and the levels declined rapidly with t1/2 of 29 and 28 min, respectively. The AUC of EGCG in the intestine was 4-fold higher than that in the kidney, but the AUCs of EGC and EC in the intestine were similar to those in the kidney. The liver and lung levels of EGCG, EGC, and EC were generally lower than those in the intestine and the kidney. The distribution results suggest that EGCG is mainly excreted through bile, and that EGC and EC are excreted through both the bile and urine.

Tea is a widely consumed beverage in many countries. An estimated 2.5 million metric tons of dried teas are manufactured annually. Of that amount, ∼20% is green tea, which is mainly consumed in China and Japan, and ∼78% is black tea, which is consumed in many Western countries. Many laboratory studies have demonstrated the inhibition of tumorigenesis by tea and tea polyphenols in different animal models, including mouse skin, mouse lung, rat and mouse esophagi, mouse forestomach, mouse duodenum, rat small intestine, rat colon, and rat and mouse livers (1). In contrast to the consistently observed inhibition of tumorigenesis by tea in many animal models, studies concerning the effects of tea on the incidence of human cancers have been inconclusive. Some epidemiological studies on the effect of tea ingestion on cancer risk have suggested an inhibitory effect (2-5), others an enhancing effect, and still others a lack of an effect (6-8). However, none of these human studies are conclusive, and more epidemiological research is needed.

A major problem in investigating the association of tea consumption with cancer incidence is the lack of quantitative data. It is not known whether the inconclusive results in the human studies were due to a presumed lower amount of tea consumption by humans than by experimental animals, or were due to species differences in the bioavailabilities and actions of the active components involved. Even in studies with animals, mechanistic understanding of the inhibitory effect of tea on tumorigenesis is hampered by insufficient information regarding the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of the effective components of tea. It is believed that most of the cancer-inhibitory activity of tea is due to the tea polyphenols present in tea. The major polyphenols in green tea, commonly known as tea catechins, are EGCG,1 EGC, ECG, and EC (1,9, 10) (fig. 1). However, the pharmacokinetic properties of these tea polyphenols are largely unknown.

Figure 1
Figure 1

Chemical structures of EGCG, EGC, ECG, and EC.

The objective of the present study is to gain an understanding about the pharmacokinetic properties and bioavailabilities of EGCG, EGC, and EC in rats. These tea polyphenols were given to rats either in the form of DGT or as pure EGCG. EGCG was selected as a prototype tea polyphenol for study because it is the most abundant in green tea with demonstrated biological activities, and it is available in high purity. Both administration routes (i.v. and i.g.) were used. The compounds were analyzed with an HPLC method newly developed in our laboratory (11).

Materials and Methods

Chemicals and Reagents.

DGT and purified EGCG, EGC, and EC were obtained from Thomas J. Lipton, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ). The DGT solids were dehydrate preparations of water extracts of DGT leaves and contained 73, 68, and 27 mg/g of EGCG, EGC, and EC, respectively (11). All other chemicals and solvents were the highest grades of commercially available materials.

Treatment of Animals and Blood Sample Collection.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats with body weights of ∼310 g were obtained from Taconic Farms (Germantown, NY) and maintained in air-conditioned quarters with 12-hr light/dark cycles. They were given a commercial rat chow (Ralston Purina Co., St. Louis, MO) and water ad libitum. The experiments started after acclimation for at least 1 week. EGCG and DGT solutions were made fresh in saline and were administered to rats i.v. (in ∼1 ml) and i.g. (in ∼2 ml). In the first experiment, EGCG was administered i.v. at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Blood samples were collected into heparinized tubes from the orbital sinus at 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 300 min after the injection. The blood samples were centrifuged at 2,000g for 10 min. The resultant plasma was mixed with one-tenth the volume of a preservative solution (20% ascorbic acid and 0.05% Na2EDTA dissolved in a 0.4 M sodium phosphate buffer, with a final pH of 7.2), and the mixture was stored at −80°C until used. In a second experiment, rats were given EGCG i.g. at a dose of 75 mg/kg. The blood samples were taken at 10, 20, 40, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 360 min after the administration. Similar experiments were conducted using DGT at a dose of 25 mg/kg given i.v. and a dose of 200 mg/kg through i.g. administration.

Tissue Sample Collection.

Rats were divided randomly into six groups (four rats per group), and given DGT i.v. at a dose of 25 mg/kg. The animals were killed at 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 min after the injection. The liver, kidneys, lungs, and intestine (30 cm from the stomach) were removed. About 0.5 g of the liver, lung, and kidney were homogenized with 1 ml of 0.4 M sodium phosphate buffer containing 6 mg of ascorbic acid and 0.5 mg of Na2EDTA (final pH of 6.5). After centrifugation at 16,000g for 5 min, 200 μl of the supernatant was used to analyze the levels of EGCG, EGC, and EC. The intestine and its contents were used to determine tea polyphenol levels in this tissue. The results are expressed on the basis of wet weight of tissues (μg/g).

Quantitation of Tea Polyphenols.

The levels of EGCG, EGC, and EC in rat plasma and tissues were determined by HPLC with a coulochem electrode array detector as previously described (11). In brief, the rat plasma sample (50–100 μl) was thawed, and when necessary, a 0.4 M sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was added to make the volume 100 μl. The sample was mixed with 10 μl of a mixture of β-glucuronidase (250 units) and sulfatase (20 units), and then incubated at 37°C for 45 min. The reaction mixture was extracted by ethyl acetate twice. The combined ethyl acetate solutions were added to 10 μl of a 20% ascorbic acid solution, and then evaporated to dryness in a vacuum centrifuge concentrator. The residues were redissolved in 100 μl of a 10% acetonitrile aqueous solution. The resultant solution was centrifuged, and 50 μl was injected onto the HPLC. An NBS C18 column (5 μm, 150 × 4.6 mm; ESA, Inc., Bedford, MA) was eluted at 35°C with a linear gradient from 96% buffer A [30 mM NaH2PO4 buffer containing 2.37% acetonitrile and 0.12% tetrahydrofuran (pH 3.35)] and 4% buffer B [30 mM NaH2PO4 buffer containing 40% acetonitrile and 6.65% tetrahydrofuran (pH 3.45)] to 76% buffer A and 24% buffer B in 24 min at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Then, the gradient was changed linearly to 5% buffer A and 95% buffer B from 24 to 35 min and maintained this gradient until 42 min. Then, the gradient was changed back to 96% buffer A and 4% buffer B for the analysis of the next sample. The eluent was monitored by a coulochem electrode array system (ESA, Inc.) with potential settings at −90, −10, 70, and 150 mV, and 4 chromatograms were obtained simultaneously. The peak height was used to calculate the plasma or tissue concentrations of EGCG, EGC, and EC. For analysis of tissue tea polyphenol levels, 200 μl of the supernatant of tissue homogenates was used. The β-glucuronidase and sulfatase were added to digest the tissue samples. Thus, our method provided the total amounts, including free and conjugated forms of each of EGCG, EGC, and EC in the plasma and tissue samples. ECG had a retention time >32 min in this HPLC system and was not analyzed.

Pharmacokinetic Analysis.

The plasma concentration-time data for the tea polyphenols were analyzed by the PCNONLIN software package (version 4.2; Clin Trials, Lexington, KY). Data for model-fitting were iteratively reweighted by modulating the reciprocal of the predicted concentrations. Appropriate fitting was assessed by correlation coefficient (r2), the Akaike Information Criterion, and Schwartz Criterion (12, 13). Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated based on the appropriate model.

Results

Pharmacokinetics of EGCG after i.v. Administration.

After giving EGCG i.v. to rats at a dose of 10 mg/kg, blood samples were collected at different time points. The plasma samples were analyzed by an HPLC method that can monitor EGCG, EGC, and EC simultaneously (fig. 2). EGC and EC were not observed in any of the plasma samples, suggesting that there was no conversion of EGCG to EGC or EC. The plasma EGCG concentration-time curve is shown in fig. 3. The concentration-time data were analyzed by the PCNONLIN program. The best fit was achieved with a two-compartment i.v. input model, which was described by the mathematical equation ofC=D·(K21−α)/(Vd·(β−α))·e−αt+D ·(K21−β)/(Vd·(β−α))·e−βt, Equation 1where α + β = K12 +K21 + K10, α · β = K21 · K10,C = concentration, D = dose,Vd = apparent distribution volume,K21 = distribution rate constant from the peripheral compartment to the central compartment,K12 = distribution rate constant from the central compartment to the peripheral compartment,K10 = rate constant associated with the elimination from the central compartment, α = rate constant associated with the distribution phase of the concentration-time curve, β = rate constant associated with the terminal phase of the concentration-time curve, and t = time (14). As shown in table 1, EGCG had a distribution half-life (t1/2α) of 11.8 min, an elimination half-life from the central compartment (t1/2(K10)) of 21.3 min, and a β-elimination half-life (t1/2β) of 135.1 min. The CL of EGCG was 72.5 ml × min/kg. The Vd was 22.0 dl/kg.

Figure 2
Figure 2

HPLC profile of rat plasma levels of green tea polyphenols.

The plasma sample was digested with β-glucuronidase and sulfatase, extracted, and injected onto the HPLC as described in Materials and Methods. Numbers 1–4 denote different channels of a coulochem electrode array detector.

Figure 3
Figure 3

Plasma concentration-time profiles of EGCG, EGC, and EC after i.v. or i.g. administration of DGT or pure EGCG to rats.

Each data point represents the mean ± SD of 3 or 4 rats.

View this table:
Table 1

Pharmacokinetic parameters of i.v. administration of EGCG (10 mg/kg) or DGT (25 mg/kg) in rats

Absorption and Elimination of EGCG after i.g. Administration of EGCG.

To study EGCG absorption properties and to determine whether conversion of EGCG to EGC or EC occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, EGCG was given to rats i.g. at a dose of 75 mg/kg. No peak of EGC or EC was shown in the HPLC profiles, suggesting again no conversion from EGCG to EGC or EC. A concentration vs. time curve is shown in fig.3. The best fit of the data sets was achieved with a one-compartment oral input model, which is described by the mathematical equation ofC=F·D/(Vd·(Ka−K10))·(e−K10t−e−Kat), Equation 2where C = concentration, F = fraction of absorption, D = dose,Vd = volume of distribution,Ka = absorption rate constant,K10 = elimination rate constant, andt = time (14). tmax andCmax were 85.5 min and 19.8 ng/ml, respectively. The absorption rate constant (Ka ) was 1.4 × 10−3 min−1. The fraction of absorption calculated by the equation of AUCi.g. · Dosei.v./AUCi.v. · Dosei.g.was 1.6%. Other EGCG pharmacokinetic parameters, such ast1/2(K10),Vd , and CL, were similar to the results obtained from i.v. administration of EGCG (table2).

View this table:
Table 2

Pharmacokinetic parameters of i.g. administration of EGCG (75 mg/kg) or DGT (200 mg/kg) in rats

Pharmacokinetics of EGCG, EGC, and EC after i.v. Administration of DGT.

The plasma concentrations of EGCG, EGC, and EC for the rats treated with DGT (25 mg/kg i.v.) were plotted against time (fig. 3). The plasma EGC and EC levels were declined to <1% in 300 min. However, the plasma EGCG level was decreased to 12% in the same time period, suggesting a slower rate of elimination of EGCG than that of EGC and EC. The pharmacokinetic parameters for EGCG, EGC, and EC were analyzed by the PCNONLIN program based on the assumptions: 1) EGCG, EGC, and EC are not interconvertible; and 2) the conjugation with glucuronide or sulfate is not a rate-limiting step. The best fit of the concentration-time data of the three tea polyphenols was achieved with a two-compartment i.v. input model. The pharmacokinetic parameters are shown in table 1. The parameters related to elimination of EGC and EC were similar [t1/2(K10), 20.2 and 18.1 min; t1/2β, 44.9 and 41.2 min, respectively]. The CL of EGC was ∼50% of that of EC, indicating that EC was more quickly eliminated from the rats. As reflected by thet1/2(K10) of 51 min, t1/2β of 212 min, and CL of 2.0 ml · min/kg, the EGCG elimination was slower than EGC and EC. The distribution half-lives (t1/2α) of the three tea polyphenols, however, were not significantly different (∼8–10 min). The Vd of EGCG, EGC, and EC were 1.5, 2.1, and 3.6 dl/kg, respectively. Rats receiving EGCG in DGT displayed a 2.8-fold higher plasma concentration at 5 min than those receiving pure EGCG, even though the dose of EGCG in DGT was one-fifth the dose of pure EGCG (1.8 vs. 10 mg/kg). A slower elimination was shown when EGCG was given in DGT than given as the pure compound (fig. 4). The difference was also indicated by other pharmacokinetic parameters; for example, EGCG given in DGT showed a smaller Vd , slowert1/2(K10) andt1/2β, and smaller CL than EGCG given in the pure form (table 1).

Figure 4
Figure 4

Comparison of plasma concentration-time profile of EGCG between the rats given pure EGCG and the rats given DGT as the source of EGCG.

The dose of pure EGCG was 10 mg/kg and the equivalent dose of EGCG in DGT was 1.8 mg/kg.

Absorption and Elimination of EGCG, EGC, and EC after i.g. Administration of DGT.

After an i.g. dose of DGT (200 mg/kg), the plasma concentration-time data of EGCG, EGC, and EC were fitted in a one-compartment oral input model. The tmax’s were 74.4, 64.2, and 54.6 min, and the Cmax’s were 16.3, 1,432.8, and 685.4 ng/ml for EGCG, EGC, and EC, respectively. The fractions of absorption for these three polyphenols were 0.1, 13.7, and 31.2%, respectively. The absorption rate constants (Ka ) of EGC and EC were ∼2.4-fold higher than that of EGCG. TheCL of the three polyphenols were similar to the results obtained from i.v. injection.

Tissue Distribution of Tea Polyphenols after i.v. Administration of DGT.

Rats were given DGT i.v. at a dose of 25 mg/kg. The tissue levels of tea polyphenols against time are shown in fig.5. The highest EGCG level was found in the intestine samples, and the level declined slowly with an estimatedt1/2 of 173.3 min. The AUC of EGCG were 1.7, 0.3, and 0.4 mg · min/g, respectively, in the intestine, kidney, and lung. The highest EGC and EC levels were observed in the kidney, but the levels declined rapidly (t1/2 = 28.9 and 27.7 min, respectively). The AUC of EGC were 1.4, 1.2, and 0.9 mg · min/g in the kidney, lung, and intestine, respectively, and the AUC of EC was 0.3, 0.1, and 0.4 mg · min/g, respectively. Low levels of EGCG, EGC, and EC were also detected in the liver. Consistent with the observations in the plasma, the t1/2 for EGCG was longest among the three tea polyphenols in the tissues examined (table 3).

Figure 5
Figure 5

Concentration-time profiles of EGCG, EGC, and EC in rat tissues.

The rats received DGT i.v. at a dose of 25 mg/kg. Each pointrepresents the mean ± SD of four rats.  

View this table:
Table 3

Tissue pharmacokinetic parameters of tea polyphenols after i.v. administration of DGT (25 mg/kg) to rats

Discussion

The possible cancer-preventive activity of tea is receiving a great deal of attention. Information on the bioavailability and disposition of tea polyphenols such as EGCG, EGC, and EC is important for understanding the biological effects of tea. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the absorption, distribution, and elimination of EGCG, EGC, and EC in rodents that have been used extensively in the studies of cancer chemoprevention. Although there are similarities in their chemical structures (fig. 1), EGCG, EGC, and EC displayed different pharmacokinetics. When DGT was used as the source of tea polyphenols by i.v. injection, the K12 andK21 (the distribution rate constants between the central compartment and the peripheral compartment) were similar for EGC and EC. But for EGCG, the K12 was 3-fold larger than K21, suggesting that EGCG tends to distribute into the peripheral compartment (table 1). The longert1/2β and smaller CL of EGCG also indicate that EGCG could stay in the body for a longer period of time than EGC and EC (table 1).

EGC and EC seemed to be absorbed faster (largerKa ) than EGCG, and EGCG had much lower bioavailability in terms of fraction of absorption (table 2). The low bioavailability of EGCG was found when given either in DGT or as pure EGCG. The difference in absorption was also indicated by the much higher Cmax values for EGC and EC than that for EGCG (table 2). This difference in the Cmax was much larger than our previously observed plasma levels of EGC and ECvs. that of EGCG in the rats receiving 0.9% DGT as the sole source of drinking fluid for 3 weeks (11). It seems that EGCG is better absorbed when given through drinking fluid than i.g. administration. In addition, the relatively higher AUC value of EGCG in the intestine samples after i.v. injection suggests that EGCG is excreted mainly through the bile. EGC and EC are likely excreted through both the urine and bile, because similar AUC values of EGC and EC were obtained in both the kidney and intestine. These results are in agreement with the previous observation that EGC and EC, but not EGCG, were recovered from human urine samples (11).

It is worth noting that EGCG displayed different pharmacokinetic behavior when EGCG was given to rats in the DGT, in comparison to when it was given as pure EGCG. When administered i.g., EGCG in DGT showed a 3.6-fold higher absorption rate constant (Ka ) than pure EGCG. Based on the AUC and Cmaxproduced by per unit of EGCG, DGT seems to deliver EGCG into the bloodstream more effectively than when EGCG is given as a pure compound (table 2). The molecular basis for this absorption difference is not known. It is possible that complex formation between EGCG and other components in DGT may increase the absorption of EGCG.

In addition to absorption, there were also differences in the distribution between these two dosage forms. The plasma level and AUC of EGCG due to i.v. administration of pure EGCG were lower and smaller than those due to i.v. administration of a lower dose of EGCG in DGT. Correspondingly, a larger Vd was observed in the rats receiving pure EGCG i.v. (table 1). It is possible that upon i.v. administration, EGCG is rapidly distributed in the body (before the first measurement at 5 min) or is rapidly converted to metabolites (which are not measured in our assays). Other components in DGT, such as EGC and EC, may hinder the processes by competing for the binding sites or competitively inhibiting the metabolic conversion and thus increase the initial concentration of EGCG (decreasedVd ). This analysis is also applicable to experiments in which DGT and EGCG were administered i.g.

Pure EGCG also seems to be eliminated more readily from the body when compared with EGCG from DGT (table 1, fig. 4). Such differences in these parameters of EGCG were also shown when pure EGCG or DGT was administered through intragastrical intubation (table 2). Because catechins are known to bind with proteins tightly (15), it is possible that other tea components in DGT compete with EGCG for binding to plasma and tissue proteins, thus changing the EGCG pharmacokinetic behavior. This concept is similar to the previous results with warfarin, a drug with high levels of plasma and tissue protein binding (16). When warfarin was used together with other protein binding displacers, its Vd was decreased and clearance delayed (16). Another possibility is that, because the glucuronidation and sulfation of tea polyphenols are the major elimination pathways (11), the competition among tea polyphenols for glucuronosyltransferase and sulfotransferase may also result in inhibition of EGCG elimination.

The present results on pharmacokinetic properties and tissue distribution of EGCG, EGC, and EC provide a base for understanding the biological effects of tea in rats. To understand the cancer prevention and other health effects of tea in humans, we are studying the pharmacokinetics of tea polyphenols in human volunteers.

Footnotes

  • Send reprint requests to: Dr. Chung S. Yang, Laboratory for Cancer Research, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855-0789.

  • This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health Grant CA56673 and by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center Grant ES05022.

  • Abbreviations used are::
    EGCG
    (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate
    EGC
    (−)-epigallocatechin
    ECG
    (−)-epicatechin-3-gallate
    EC
    (−)-epicatechin
    DGT
    decaffeinated green tea
    i.v.
    intravenous(ly)
    i.g.
    intragastric(ally)
    CL
    clearance
    tmax
    time to maximum concentration
    Cmax
    maximum concentration
    AUC
    area under the plasma concentration vs. time curve
    • Received January 21, 1997.
    • Accepted June 3, 1997.

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Research ArticleArticle

Absorption, Distribution, and Elimination of Tea Polyphenols in Rats

Laishun Chen, Mao-Jung Lee, He Li and Chung S. Yang
Drug Metabolism and Disposition September 1, 1997, 25 (9) 1045-1050;
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