School of Agriculture and Biotechnology
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Item Antioxidant, antimicrobial and synergistic activities of tea polyphenols(2015) Koech, K.R.; Wachira, F.N.; Ngure, R.M.; Wanyoko, J.K.; Bii, C.C.; Karori, S.M.; Kerio, L.C.Microbial resistance to conventional antibiotics has become an increasing global problem and there is a need to find out novel, potent antimicrobial agents with alternative modes of action as accessories to antibiotic therapy. This study investigated the antioxidant, antimicrobial and synergistic properties of tea polyphenols. The tea germplasm from Kenya, China and Japan that are grown in Kenya were characterised for their biochemical profiles. The total phenolic content, theaflavins and thearubigins content of different tea products used in this study were determined spectrophotometrically according to Folin-Ciocalteus and flavognost methods respectively. The individual catechin contents were characterised by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified according to their HPLC retention times, elution order and comparison with authentic standards. The antioxidant activity of tea polyphenols was determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometer on its ability to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The Agar Disc Diffusion method was used to screen for antimicrobial and synergistic activities of the tea liquors. Black, green, purple coloured leaf and white (silvery tips) tea products characterised for their biochemical profiles differed significantly in the levels of total polyphenols, total catechins, catechins fractions, theaflavins and thearubigins (P ≤ 0.05). Green, purple coloured leaf (aerated) and black tea from terminal buds and white tea products analysed in this study exhibited slightly higher antioxidant activity compared to black tea. The different types of tea products assayed in this study exhibited significant influence on the inhibition zone diameters against bacteria and fungi exposed to the tea extracts. Methicillin and penicillinase resistant S. aureus ATCC 25923, C. albicans ATCC 90028 and a clinical isolate of C. neoformans were more susceptible to all tea extracts than E. coli and S. typhi. There was synergism between most tea extracts and penicillin G against methicillin and penicillinase resistant S. aureus ATTC 25923.Item The anti-inflammatory properties of Kenyan tea(2015) Karori, S.M .; Ngure, R.M.; Wanyoko, J.K.; Wachira, F.N.An in vivo study was carried out to determine the effect of different types of Kenyan tea extracts on male Swiss albino mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei isolate KETRI 2710. The isolate produced a similar clinical picture after a pre-patent period of five days post-infection (DPI). Parasitemia levels in the untreated mice and those given different tea developed exponentially at similar rates reaching the peak of parasitemia 8 DPI. Between 9 and 13 DPI parasitemia decreased more rapidly in tea treated compared to the untreated mice which indicated that tea lowered parasitemia. Anaemia indicated by a fall in erythrocyte packed cell volume (PCV) occurred within 4 DPI and remained below the normal levels until the terminal stages of the disease. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed 11 DPI between the tea treated and the untreated mice indicating that tea enhanced resistance to erythrocyte destruction. Mice treated with tea exhibited significantly (P < 0.01) reduced parasite induced hypoalbuminemia as compared to the untreated demonstrating that tea ameliorated inflammation induced by T. brucei brucei. Black tea, which is the principle tea product from Kenya, displayed remarkable properties some even comparable to those of green tea. Tea was more efficacious than dexamethasone, an established anti-inflammatory drug, demonstrating its therapeutic potential.