Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34054222›Full record

ReviewTrends in food science & technology2021

Potential protective mechanisms of green tea polyphenol EGCG against COVID-19.

Zhichao Zhang, Xiangchun Zhang, Keyi Bi, Yufeng He, Wangjun Yan, Chung S Yang, Jinsong Zhang

Open access · greenAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Trends in food science & technology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 67 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
67citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
19.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

67 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 156 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Bioactives in Food-As-Medicine for Special Medical Purposes.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2025
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  20. From Plant to Patient: A Historical Perspective and Review of Selected Medicinal Plants in Dermatology.JID innovations : skin science from molecules to population health · 2025
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7 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Zhichao ZhangDepartment of Musculoskeletal Tumor, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Xiangchun ZhangTea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310008, China.
Keyi BiState Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
Yufeng HeState Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
Wangjun YanDepartment of Musculoskeletal Tumor, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Chung S YangDepartment of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8020, USA.
Jinsong ZhangState Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
Anhui Agricultural University · CNFudan University Shanghai Cancer Center · CNChinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences · CNRutgers, The State University of New Jersey · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe world is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the potential protective effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major constituent of green tea, against COVID-19. SCOPE AND APPROACH: Information from literature of clinical symptoms and molecular pathology of COVID-19 as well as relevant publications in which EGCG shows potential protective activities against COVID-19 is integrated and evaluated. KEY FINDINGS AND

conclusionsEGCG, via activating Nrf2, can suppress ACE2 (a cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2) and TMPRSS2, which mediate cell entry of the virus. Through inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 main protease, EGCG may inhibit viral reproduction. EGCG via its broad antioxidant activity may protect against SARS-CoV-2 evoked mitochondrial ROS (which promote SARS-CoV-2 replication) and against ROS burst inflicted by neutrophil extracellular traps. By suppressing ER-resident GRP78 activity and expression, EGCG can potentially inhibit SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. EGCG also shows protective effects against 1) cytokine storm-associated acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, 2) thrombosis via suppressing tissue factors and activating platelets, 3) sepsis by inactivating redox-sensitive HMGB1, and 4) lung fibrosis through augmenting Nrf2 and suppressing NF-κB. These activities remain to be further substantiated in animals and humans. The possible concerted actions of EGCG suggest the importance of further studies on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in humans. These results also call for epidemiological studies on potential preventive effects of green tea drinking on COVID-19.

Indexed as

COVID-19EGCGPreventionSARS-CoV-2TeaTreatment

Identifiers

PMID34054222
PMCPMC8146271
OpenAlexW3164962290

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.