Antioxidant and Anti-Cancer Activities of Green and Black Tea Polyphenols

Tea (Camellia sinensis) has attracted public attention because of accumulating scientific evidence linking its consumption to health benefits. As a popular beverage, tea consumption may provide benefical biological activities, such as reducing the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and delaying the onset of cancer. These biological activities are believed to arise from ability of tea polyphenols to effectively scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as cancer chemopreventive effects associated with tea polyphenols and their molecular mechanisms. The biological activities of green and black tea polyphenols are summarized in this chapter.