Tea (Camellia sinensis) and Infection (general): evidence and sources

Various components in green and black tea, the beverages made by infusing appropriately processed dried leaves of Camellia sinensis, notably simple catechins, have properties in vitro that suggest an anti-cariogenic activity. These include: a direct bactericidal effect against Streptococcus mutans and S. sobrinus; prevention of bacterial adherence to teeth; inhibition of glucosyl transferase, thus limiting the biosynthesis of sticky glucan; inhibition of human and bacterial amylases. Studies in animal models show that these in-vitro effects can translate into caries prevention. A limited number of clinical trials in man suggest that regular tea drinking may reduce the incidence and severity of caries. If substantiated, this could offer a very economical public health intervention.

Tea, a worldwide popular beverage rich in polyphenols, contributes to the prevention of many diseases and thus is beneficial to human health. Tea is a product through processing the fresh leaves picked from the plant Camellia sinensis (C. sinensis, genus Camellia section Thea). To date, systematic studies have been conducted on the phytochemicals from more than 20 tea varieties and related tea products, resulting in the structural determination of over 400 constituents viz. different types of polyphenols, purines, and their derivatives, mono to tetra-terpenoids, and minor other phytomolecules. These various tea phytochemicals contribute to the anti-oxidative effects, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, blood lipid reduction, neuroprotection, anti-Alzheimer's disease, hepatoprotection, and anti-microbial activities, etc. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), the significant human pathogens, could cause nosocomial and community-acquired infections, which is also responsible for various infectious diseases from mild to severe life-threatening conditions, such as bacteremia (bloodstream infection), endocarditis (heart valves infection), pneumonia, and meningitis (brain infection), leading to 2% clinical disease in of all patient admissions. The multidrug resistance (MDR) and antibiotics losing efficacy, esp. in methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) urge for novel antimicrobial agents. The MRSA strains are resistant to the entire class of β-lactam antibiotics and limit effective treatment, leading to still spread of staphylococcal infections. MRSA also exhibits resistance to cephalosporins, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and glycopeptides (teicoplanine and vancomycin), leading to resistant strains-glycopeptide resistant strain (GRSA) and glycopeptide intermediate (GISA) S. aureus. In this review, chemical constituents responsible for the anti-MRSA activity of tea are explored.

Herbal products are increasingly growing in the oral care market. Some of the related herbal compounds in this field have considerable clinical evidence for use in mouthwashes in their background. Camellia sinensis or tea plant has attracted numerous researchers of dentistry and pharmaceutical sciences, in recent years, for its biologic and medicinal properties. The effects such as anti-septic, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory activities have made this plant a suitable candidate for preparation of mouthwashes. In this systematic review, we tried to find, evaluate, and categorize the sparse evidence in medical literature about Camellia sinensis mouthwashes. We explored three scientific databases with keywords including tea, dental care, Camellia sinensis, and mouthwashes and found 69 relevant studies including 41 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which are generally proposing anti-microbial, anti-plaque, and analgesic indications for these tea formulations. Considering the main trend in clinical evidence and favorable safety profile, Camellia sinensis products are able to act as antiseptic, anti-plaque, and anti-inflammatory agents and can be used as useful mouthwashes in the future clinical studies and practice.