Green Tea

Other Names:

Cha Ye

• Antibacterial
• Gastroprotective
• Diuretic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antispasmodic
• Antiviral
• Antiulcer
• Antifungal
• Antioxidant
• Antitumor
• Immunity
• Hepatoprotective
• Anticoccidial

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves have been cultivated for their use in making traditional tea in China and Japan for thousands of years. Green tea leaves are a rich source of antioxidants and flavonoids. One of it's active chemicals is EGCG (epigallocatechin-gallate) which is known for its ability to increase the number of regulatory T cells, useful in fighting off autoimmune diseases. Other notable healing substances include fluoride, catechins, and tannins. The Chemistry of Tea Infographic by CompoundChem.com

Specific applications studied in poultry include:

• Antiviral: Green tea contains catechins, which are polyphenolic compounds that are known to exhibit strong anti-influenza activity. A study conducted on chickens by Lee HJ et al., 2012 showed that adding 10 g/kg of green tea to the diet of chickens showed significant antiviral protection against avian influenza.

1. Chen, Xingyong, et al.. "The Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Gut Bacteria of Broilers Raised with or without Antibiotics and Green Tea Powder" Journal of Applied Poultry Research 28.3 (2019)
2. Farahat M, Abdallah F, Abdel-Hamid T, Hernandez-Santana A.. "Effect of supplementing broiler chicken diets with green tea extract on the growth performance, lipid profile, antioxidant status and immune response." Br Poult Sci. (2016)
3. Huang JB, Zhang Y, Zhou YB, Wan XC, Zhang JS.. "Effects of epigallocatechin gallate on lipid metabolism and its underlying molecular mechanism in broiler chickens." J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (2015)
4. Int J Food Microbiol.. "Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and five terpenoid compounds against Campylobacter jejuni in pure and mixed culture experiments." Kurekci C, Padmanabha J, Bishop-Hurley SL, Hassan E, Al Jassim RA, McSweeney CS. (2013)
5. Orhan C, Tuzcu M, Gencoglu H, Sahin N, Hayirli A, Sahin K.. "Epigallocatechin-3-gallate exerts protective effects against heat stress through modulating stress-responsive transcription factors in poultry." Br Poult Sci (2013)
6. Lee HJ, Lee YN, Youn HN, Lee DH, Kwak JH, Seong BL, Lee JB, Park SY, Choi IS, Song CS.. "Anti-influenza virus activity of green tea by-products in vitro and efficacy against influenza virus infection in chickens." Poultry Science (2012)
7. Sheikhzadeh N, Nofouzi K, Delazar A, Oushani AK.. "Immunomodulatory effects of decaffeinated green tea (Camellia sinensis) on the immune system of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)." Fish Shellfish Immunology (2011)
8. Vossen E, Ntawubizi M, Raes K, Smet K, Huyghebaert G, Arnouts S, De Smet S.. "Effect of dietary antioxidant supplementation on the oxidative status of plasma in broilers." J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (2011)
9. Jang SI, Jun MH, Lillehoj HS, Dalloul RA, Kong IK, Kim S, Min W.. "Anticoccidial effect of green tea-based diets against Eimeria maxima." Vet Parasitol. (2007)