Description
Catechin is a flavanol originally found in Camilla and other plant sources; it exhibits antioxidative, anti-aging, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-ulcerative, neuroprotective, neuromodulatory, anticancer chemotherapeutic, and chemopreventive activities. Catechin increases life span in Caenorhabditis elegans and inhibits monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) in vitro. Catechin decreases atherosclerotic lesion area, suppresses leukocyte adhesion, and inhibits LDL oxidation and uptake in animal models of atherosclerosis. In animal models of brain hemorrhage, catechin increasers activity of Nrf2 and phase II detoxifying enzymes, inhibiting oxidative stress, neurological deficits, and lesion formation. In other animal models, catechin inhibits histidine decarboxylase, decreasing gastric lesion formation. Additionally, catechin increases muscle fatigue resistance and exercise capacity in vivo. This compound also decreases tumor number and formation and suppresses phosphorylation of FAK in animal models of colorectal cancer.