Green tea catechins upregulate superoxide dismutase and catalase in fruit flies

Chinese Longjing green tea is an excellent source of polyphenol antioxidants. HPLC analysis revealed that Longjing green tea catechin extract (GTC) contained 62% epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), 19% epigallocatechin (EGC), 9% epicatechin gallate (ECG), and 7% epicatechin (EC). Investigating the effect of GTC on the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster, we observed that a 10 mg GTC/mL diet could prolong its 50% survival time by 36% and mean lifespan by 16%. This was consistent with 17% reduction in total body lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) level in GTC-treated flies compared to the control group. Supplementation of 10 mg GTC/mL diet increased the survival time only in wild type Oregon-R-C (OR) but not in two mutant fly lines, SOD(n108)/TM3 (gene for superoxide dismutase (SOD) was knocked out) and Cat(n1)/TM3 (gene for catalase was knocked out), when the flies were challenged with paraquat or hydrogen peroxide. Accordingly, SOD and catalase activities in OR wild type increased by 40 and 19%, respectively. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the genes for copper-zinc containing SOD (CuZnSOD), manganese containing SOD (MnSOD), and catalase were upregulated. It was concluded that prolonging lifespan by GTC in D. melanogaster was influenced, among others, by upregulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes.