ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Green Tea on Physico-Chemical Properties of Liver Cell Membranes of Rats Intoxicated with Ethanol
I. Dobrzyńska1, B. Szachowicz-Petelska1, E. Skrzydlewska2, Z. Figaszewski1,3
 
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1Institute of Chemistry, University in Białystok, Al. Piłsudskiego 11/4, 15-443 Białystok, Poland
2Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical Academy of Białystok, 15-230 Białystok 8, Poland
3Laboratory of Interfacial Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, of Warsaw, Pasteur St. 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
 
 
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2008;17(3):327-333
 
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ABSTRACT
Changes in the composition and physicochemical properties of liver cell membranes appearing as the result of ethanol intoxication and the aging process are mainly due to reactive oxygen species (ROS). The destructive action of free radicals can be neutralized by administering antioxidants, especially natural ones like green tea. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to estimate the efficacy of green tea's influence on the physicochemical and biochemical properties of the rat liver as affected by the aging process and/or chronic ethanol intoxication. Several methods were used to evaluate this effect. Qualitative and quantitative composition of phospholipids in the membrane was determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The electrophoresis technique was used to determine the surface charge density of the rat liver cell membrane. The process of aging causes a decrease in the total amount of phospholipids, increases lipid peroxidation products and surface charge density of liver cell membrane. The results also demonstrate that ethanol administration provoked increase phospholipid composition, lipid peroxidation products and surface charge density in liver cell membrane. The ingestion of green tea with ethanol partially prevented these ethanol-induced and/or aging changes. Moreover, long-term drinking of green tea partially prevents changes in structure and function of membrane phospholipids caused by chronic ethanol intoxication.
eISSN:2083-5906
ISSN:1230-1485
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