Abstract

Free radical production during exercise contributes to fatigue and antioxidant treatment might be a valuable therapeutic approach. In this study, the antioxidant properties of green tea polyphenols (GTP) were evaluated in vitro through hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, and ascorbic acid was used as reference compound. The study showed that GTP possessed more pronounced hydroxyl radical scavenging activity than ascorbic acid, and the scavenging activity increased with increasing of the concentration. The anti-fatigue effects of GTP were evaluated in vivo through a swimming exercise test. Forty male Kunming (KM) mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 10 in each group) including one control group and three GTP administered groups (60, 120 and 240 mg/kg body weight). The GTP were administered to the mice every day for 4 weeks. The mice were submitted to weekly swimming exercise supporting constant loads (lead fish sinkers, attached to the tail) corresponding to 10% of their body weight. The study showed that GTP has an anti-fatigue effect and also prolongs the swimming time of mice with less fatigue. Although there could be several mechanisms of action of GTP for its effectiveness to combat fatigue, the antioxidant properties seem to be highly significant.

Key words: Antioxidan, anti- fatigue, green tea polyphenols, hydroxyl radical, swimming exercise test.