EFFECT OF ROOIBOS TEA (ASPALATHUS-LINEARIS) ON CHICK SKELETAL-MUSCLE CELL-GROWTH IN CULTURE

Rooibos tea (RT) extract contains natural antioxidants and scavenging agents. We investigated the effects of different concentrations of RT extract in medium on growth and changes of growth parameters of cultur ed chick embryonic skeletal muscle cells. Presence of 2, 10 and 100% o f RT extract in the culture of primary cells significantly inhibited c ell proliferation. The inhibition of cell growth reflected on decrease d DNA, RNA and protein contents in primary cell culture and fibroblast s and myoblasts. The ability of the primary cells, fibroblasts and myo blasts to synthesize DNA and protein in the presence of RT extract, me asured as an amount of [H-3]thymidine and [H-3]leucine incorporated in to DNA and de novo synthesized protein, corresponded with decreasing D NA and protein contents in all three cell types. The inhibition effect of RT rose with increasing concentration of the tea extract in the cu lture medium. Ornithine decarboxylase activity was significantly affec ted only by 100% RT extract in every examined cell types. These result s suggest that the inhibitory effect of RT extract on the growth of pr imary cells, fibroblasts and myoblasts is due to the potent scavenging activity of the RT extract. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.