Chapter 2
Bioavailability and Biological Activity of Tea Polyphenols
Downloaded by UNIV OF PITTSBURGH on March 7, 2016 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: June 19, 2003 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2003-0851.ch002
Hong Lu, Xiaofeng Meng, Mao-Jung Lee, Chuan Li, Pius Maliakal, and Chung S. Yang Laboratory for Cancer Research, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020
Tea polyphenols have biological activities including modulation of key signal transduction pathways. The possible significance of these activities in inhibition of carcinogenesis in vivo depends on the bioavailabilities of the polyphenols. After oral administration of tea to rats, about 14% of (-)epigallocatechin (EGC), 31% of (-)-epicatechin (EC), and
