Antioxidant properties of black tea in alcohol intoxication.

Food ingredients such as alcohol may modify cellular redox state. Ethanol metabolism is accompanied by generation of free radicals that can damage cell components especially when antioxidant mechanisms are no able to neutralize them. However black tea is a source of polyphenol antioxidants that may enhance cellular antioxidant abilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of black tea on antioxidant abilities of the liver, blood serum and brain of 12-months old rats sub-chronically (for 28 days) intoxicated with ethanol. Administration of black tea alone caused increase in the activity and concentration of antioxidant parameters more extensively in the liver and serum than in the brain. Alcohol caused decrease in the liver glutathione peroxidase and reductase and catalase activity but increase in activity of superoxide dismutase. Moreover, decrease in the level of non-enzymatic antioxidants, such as reduced glutathione, vitamin C, A and E and beta-carotene was observed. The activity of serum glutathione peroxidase and reductase decreased while superoxide dismutase activity was not changed. The level of non-enzymatic antioxidants in serum was also decreased. However brain activity/level of all examined antioxidants enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic was decreased after ethanol intoxication. Black tea considerably prevented antioxidant parameters against changes caused by ethanol. These results indicate beneficial antioxidant effect of black tea regarding all examined tissues, but especially the liver.