Orally supplemented catechin increases heme amounts and catalase activities in rat heart blood mitochondria: A comparison between middle-aged and young rats

Orally-administered catechin has long been known to have several beneficial effects on the mammalian host, however, the effects of orally supplemented catechin on the host through gingival tissues have not yet been established. Here, we elucidated the effects of orally supplemented catechin in the rat heart blood mitochondria. We used middle-aged (40 week-old) and young (4 week-old) rats throughout the study. We indirectly verified blood serum catechin levels by measuring O-methyl catechin derivatives using HPLC. Interestingly, we observed higher blood serum O-methyl levels in middle-aged rats as compared to young rats. Subsequently, we isolated blood mitochondria, verified its purity, and measured heme, hydrogen peroxide, and catalase (CAT) levels. We found that catechin induces an increase in blood mitochondrial heme amounts and is associated with an increase in blood mitochondrial CAT activity which is surprisingly higher in middle-aged rats as compared to young rats. This would imply that orally supplemented catechin induces heme increase that preferentially favours CAT activity and is more beneficial to the middle-aged rats.