Objective: This study is to investigate the effect of tea polyphenols and tea pigments on telomerase activity of human liver cancer cell line, HepG2 cells.
Methods: TRAP-PCR-ELISA was applied to investigate the telomerase activity.
Results: Telomerase was positive in tea polyphenols treated groups, tea pigments treated groups and blank control group. Telomerase activities (A(450 approximately 690) values) were 1.56 and 1.46 in 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L tea polyphenols-treated groups, 1.55 and 1.49 in 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L tea pigments-treated groups, respectively. The results showed that telomerase activity was significantly inhibited by tea polyphenols and tea pigments treatment as compared with the blank control group (A(450 approximately 690) = 2.11).
Conclusions: Tea polyphenols and tea pigments could significantly inhibit telomerase activity of HepG2 cells, and telomerase activity may be a useful biomarker for cancer chemoprevention.