The combined effect of green tea and α-glucosyl hesperidin in preventing obesity: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Green tea, a widely consumed beverage in Asia, contains green tea catechins effective against obesity, especially epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), but must be consumed in an impractically huge amount daily to elicit its biological effect. Meanwhile, citrus polyphenols have various physiological effects that could enhance EGCG functionality. Here we investigated the antiobesity effect of a combination of EGCG and α-glucosyl hesperidin, a citrus polyphenol, at doses that have not been previously reported to exert antiobesity effects by themselves in any clinical trial. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and parallel-group-designed clinical trial, 60 healthy Japanese males and females aged 30-75 years consumed green tea combined with α-glucosyl hesperidin (GT-gH), which contained 178 mg α-glucosyl hesperidin and 146 mg EGCG, for 12 weeks. Physical, hematological, blood biochemical, and urine examinations showed that GT-gH is safe to use. At week 12, GT-gH prevented weight gain and reduced body mass index (BMI) compared with the placebo. Especially in those aged < 50 years, triglyceride and body fat percentage decreased at week 6, visceral fat level and body fat percentage decreased at week 12; body weight, BMI, and blood LDL/HDL ratio also decreased. In conclusion, taking GT-gH prevents weight gain, and the antiobesity effect of GT-gH was more pronounced in people aged < 50 years.

Glucosyl-hesperidin enhances the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-inducing effect of a green tea polyphenol EGCG.

Animal and clinical studies have revealed that (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), one of the major bioactive polyphenols in green tea, showed several pharmacological effects including anti-obesity effect and anti-inflammatory effect. We previously reported that the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) mediates its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Here we demonstrated that glucosyl-hesperidin, enhances the cGMP-inducing effects of green tea extract in vivo. Moreover, glucosyl-hesperidin intake potentiated the green tea-elicited upregulation of the anti-inflammatory factor, toll-interacting protein.