CHEMOPREVENTIVE EFFECT OF GREEN TEA (CAMELLIA-SINENSIS) AMONG CIGARETTE SMOKERS

Chemopreventive effects of green tea and coffee among cigarette smoker s were examined in 52 clinically healthy male subjects between 20 and 52 years of age, Blood specimens were obtained from nonsmokers (group I), smokers (group II), smokers consuming green tea (group III), and s mokers drinking coffee (group IV). The mean number of cigarette smokin g years (>10 cigarettes/day) in groups II-IV ranged from 13.4 to 14.7 years, Daily intake of green tea and coffee was 2-3 cups/day for 6 mon ths (groups III and IV), The frequencies of sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) in mitogen-stimulated peripheral lymphocytes from each experimen tal group were determined and analyzed statistically. SCE rates were e levated significantly in smokers (9.46 +/- 0.46) versus nonsmokers (7. 03 +/- 0.33); however, the frequency of SCE in smokers who consumed gr een tea (7.94 +/- 0.31) was comparable to that of nonsmokers, implying that green tea can block the cigarette-induced increase in SCE freque ncy. Coffee, in contrast, did not exhibit a significant inhibitory eff ect on smoking-induced SCE.