Usage of and attitudes about green tea extract and Epigallocathechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a therapy in individuals with Down syndrome

Evaluation of the therapeutic potential of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) via oral gavage in young adult Down syndrome mice

“…Although no formal histological measures of toxicity were determined in the mice of this study, the chronic daily gavage treatment with 200 mg/kg significantly encumbered growth in euploid and trisomic mice. This dosage was chosen because of the lack of improvement in behavioral phenotypes in trisomic mice after treatment in our previous studies with lower daily doses of pure EGCG (~9 to ~50 mg/kg/day) in the drinking water 22,23 and reported high doses of EGCG consumed by individuals with DS 30 . The reduced body weights in the current study were similar to other studies where a high dosage of EGCG was given by oral gavage 27,40 .…”

“…To begin to address these gaps, the current study delivered EGCG in dosages of 200 mg/kg/day via oral gavage. This dose was chosen to achieve a high daily exposure within the range of EGCG doses reported to be given to individuals with DS by their caregivers 30 and that approximated the highest daily dosage reported for the preclinical studies (non-DS) with green tea extract (in drinking water). Gavage EGCG treatment with 217 mg/kg/day for two weeks did not produce tissue histopathology in mice 27 .…”

Dietary supplements for children with Down syndrome: exploration of current use and scientific evidence : Fieldwork and literature study

“…A large study among 1167 parents in the United States (but also including some respondents from Brazil, Poland, England and the European Union), showed that 49% of respondents currently give, or previously gave their child supplements, with Nutrivene-D® (multivitamin formula specific for DS), curcumin and green tea extract being the most commonly used [43]. Another study carried out in the United States investigated the usage of and attitudes to green tea extract and Epigallocathechin-3-gallate (EGCG) among parents of children with DS [44]. EGCG is the major polyphenol (50-75%) found in green tea extracts and is hypothesized to improve cognitive function and developmental phenotypes associated with DS.…”

“…Regarding supplements specifically aimed at people with DS, parents sometimes report improvements due to supplementation, whereas other parents do not report any differences [44]. In literature, some studies report beneficial effects of dietary supplementation.…”

From the lab to the people: major challenges in the biological treatment of Down syndrome

“…An anonymous survey was conducted by Long et al [38] with parents listed in the US Down Syndrome Registry (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) regarding the administration of green tea extracts containing EGCG. Parents who reported supplying their children with such extracts were younger, highly educated, and regularly consulted available scientific sources.…”