White Tip Silver Needle (Slightly Fermented White Tea) Flavonoids Help Prevent Aging via Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects: A Recent Study

Aim: White tip silver needle, a slightly fermented white tea high in flavonoids, has a significant impact on D-galactose/lipopolysaccharide-induced ageing in mice.

Methods: We investigated the antioxidant capacity of white tip silver needle flavonoids (WTSNF) in vitro, as well as their effects on organ indexes, pathological changes, liver function indexes, biochemical indicators, molecular biological indicators, and genes associated with oxidation and inflammation.

Results: WTSNF contained baicalin, kaempferol, kaempferide, quercetin, isorhamnetin, lespenephryl, and rutin, according to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry results.WTSNF showed strong scavenging ability for both 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2?-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) free radicals. Pathological analysis results showed that WTSNF reduced liver, kidney, and lung damage in mice with induced aging. WTSNF effectively increased the antioxidant-related levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity in serum and liver tissue while decreasing the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide. WTSNF also reduced the inflammation-related levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF
), and interferon gamma (IFN-
) and increased the levels of interleukin-10 and interleukin-12. WTSNF also increased the levels of mRNA expression of cupro-zinc superoxide dismutase, manganese superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, interleukin-10, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor, heme oxygenase 1, NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IkB-
), and thioredoxin, while it downregulated the mRNA expression levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-18, interleukin-1 beta, TNF
, IFN-
, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and nuclear factor kappa-light chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB).

Conclusion: WTSNF is an antioxidative and anti-inflammatory natural substance that inhibits D-galactose/lipopolysaccharide-induced ageing in rats.