Green Tea Extract

The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-fibrotic properties of EGCG make it a candidate as a natural therapy for hepatitis and liver fibrosis (Halegoua-De Marzio 2012). In a laboratory study, EGCG inhibited entry of the HCV into liver cells (Ciesek 2011). An experiment with hepatic stellate cells, which are key in the development of liver fibrosis, revealed that EGCG can regulate the growth and structure of these cells, such that EGCG may turn out to be a therapeutic agent for liver fibrosis (Higashi, Kohjima 2005). In a rat model of NASH, which is characterized by liver inflammation and fibrosis, and is associated with liver cancer, oral administration of EGCG (0.1% in tap water) was shown to prevent liver fibrosis and tumorigenesis (Kochi 2014). In a mouse model of chemically-induced liver injury and fibrosis, EGCG was able to attenuate the progression of liver fibrosis, possibly as a result of its ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response (Tipoe 2010).