Effects of epigallocatechin gallate, caffeine, and their combination on fat accumulation in high-glucose diet-fed Caenorhabditis elegans.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether the combination of EGCG and caffeine in green tea influences fat reduction, using C. elegans as a model organism.
Results Summary
EGCG significantly reduced fat accumulation in C. elegans, as measured by Nile Red fluorescence intensity and triglyceride/protein ratio, while caffeine alone had no significant effect. The fat-reduction effect of EGCG + caffeine was comparable to EGCG alone, mediated by the regulation of lipogenesis-related genes (sbp-1, fat-7, daf-16).
Population
Caenorhabditis elegans (nematode obesity model)
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EGCG | decrease | Nile Red fluorescence intensity | C. elegans obesity model | 14.7% | significantly reduced | #1 |
EGCG | decrease | triglyceride/protein ratio | C. elegans obesity model | 16.5% | significantly reduced | #2 |
caffeine | no change | fat-reduction effect | C. elegans obesity model | no significant change | effect was not significant | #3 |
EGCG + caffeine | decrease | fluorescence intensity | C. elegans obesity model | - | degree of reduction was comparable to that of EGCG | #4 |
EGCG + caffeine | decrease | triglyceride/protein ratio | C. elegans obesity model | - | degree of reduction was comparable to that of EGCG | #5 |
EGCG | no change | food intake | C. elegans | - | had no influence | #6 |
EGCG | no change | energy expenditure | C. elegans | - | had no influence | #7 |
EGCG + caffeine | no change | food intake | C. elegans | - | had no influence | #8 |
EGCG + caffeine | no change | energy expenditure | C. elegans | - | had no influence | #9 |
EGCG | decrease | sbp-1 gene | C. elegans | - | decreased expression | #10 |
EGCG | decrease | fat-7 gene | C. elegans | - | decreased expression | #11 |
EGCG | decrease | daf-16 gene | C. elegans | - | decreased expression | #12 |
EGCG + caffeine | decrease | sbp-1 gene | C. elegans | - | decreased expression | #13 |
EGCG + caffeine | decrease | fat-7 gene | C. elegans | - | decreased expression | #14 |
EGCG + caffeine | decrease | daf-16 gene | C. elegans | - | decreased expression | #15 |
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine are inevitable to be ingested together in the process of drinking green tea. This study used Caenorhabditis elegans as an organism model to examine whether the binding of EGCG and caffeine could influence the fat-reduction effect. The results revealed that EGCG significantly reduced the Nile Red fluorescence intensity and the triglyceride/protein ratio of the C. elegans obesity model by 14.7% and 16.5%, respectively, while the effect of caffeine was not significant. Moreover, the degree of reduction in fluorescence intensity and triglyceride/protein ratio by EGCG + caffeine was comparable to that of EGCG. In the exploration of underlying mechanism, we found that EGCG and EGCG + caffeine treatments had no influence on food intake and energy expenditure of C. elegans. Their fat-reduction effects were dependent on the regulation of lipogenesis, as shown by the decreased expression of the sbp-1, fat-7, and daf-16 genes.