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Green tea flavonoids may prevent infection with hepatitis C virus
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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German scientists have found that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a flavonoid found in green tea, prevents the hepatitis C virus (HCV) from penetratingliver cells. The scientists published their results in the journal Hepatology, and suggest that EGCG may form the basis for developing a strategy to prevent re-infection with hepatitis C after liver transplantation.
Although standard treatment with interferon plus ribavirin and newer protease inhibitors can clear the infection in some people, a significant number of patients are still resistant to these treatments.
Today, the problem of re-infection of healthy donor livers with hepatitis C after transplantation is acute. Antiviral strategies aimed at viral hepatitis C at an early stage are urgently needed to prevent re-infection of the transplant.
To address this critical issue, Dr. Sandra Siezek and Dr. Eike Steinmann from the Hannover Medical School in Germany studied the effect of the molecule EGCG, which is the main component of green tea, in preventing the penetration of hepatitis C virus particles into liver cells. "Green tea catechins such as EGCG and its derivatives epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epicatechin (EC) have demonstrated antiviral and anti-oncogenic properties. Our study examines the effect of these flavonoids on the prevention of HCV reinfection after liver transplantation," says Dr. Siezek.
The results showed that, unlike its derivatives, EGCG inhibits HCV penetration into liver cells. The authors suggest that EGCG may hinder HCV penetration into cells by affecting the host cells, since the scientists did not find any changes in the density of viral particles under the influence of catechins. Pre-treatment of cells with EGCG before vaccination against hepatitis C does not reduce the risk of infection, but the use of the flavonoid during immunization prevented the rapid spread of HCV.
Hepatitis C virus infection can lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or primary liver cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that HCV infection is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease and the primary indication for liver transplantation, affecting up to 170 million people worldwide. Previous studies have reported that about 2% of the world's population is infected with chronic hepatitis, with this figure rising to 20% in some countries.
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