Therapeutic Potential of Natural Catechins in Antiviral Activity - Abstract
Natural compounds have been discovered to be effective in many disease treatments. Among these compounds are epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), two abundant polyphenolic catechins in green tea. They have been found to be able to interfere with many disease-related biochemical processes in vitro. They are capable of suppressing inflammation, tumor growth, bacterial infection, and virus infection. Thus, EGCG and ECG have drawn great attention on the potential effects on disease prevention and treatment of carcinogenic, obesity, diabetic, and Alzheimer’s diseases. In this review, the potential of EGCG and ECG on anti-viral infection is elucidated in detail with an overview of research achievements in this field. The highlight will provide in depth knowledge on new drug discovery and contribute to the design and development of novel anti-virus agents.