ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1595573
The anti-eczema potential of three tea extracts: mechanisms of antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Biorefinery, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- 2Guangzhou Zhongzhuang Meiye Cosmetics Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, China
- 3Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- 4School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background: Tea, with a long history in China, is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Limited research exists on its use in eczema treatment. This study explores the effects and mechanisms of three tea extracts-Camellia sinensis var. assamica (Royle ex Hook.) (Theaceae) (CS), Camellia ptilophylla Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) (CP), Camellia arborescens Hung T. Chang, F. L. Yu & P. S. Wang (Theaceae) (CA). On eczema induced by 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) in mice and to explore the underlying anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory mechanisms.The metabolites of tea extracts were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS). A DNCBinduced dermatitis model in mice was established, with histological staining and immunohistochemistry to assess eczema lesions and cytokine expression. In vitro tests were performed on RAW 264.7 cells and HaCaT cells to analyze the effects on inflammation, immune regulation, and cell migration.Results: All three tea extracts alleviated DNCB-induced epidermal thickening, reduced mast cell infiltration, and decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels. The extracts suppressed nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and NF-κB expression. Additionally, they downregulated immune-related factors such as IL-1, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TGF-β. Scanning electron microscopy revealed morphological changes in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.Conclusion: CS, CP, and CA show potential for treating eczema, demonstrating anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory effects. These tea extracts could serve as promising natural treatments for eczema and related inflammatory skin conditions.
Keywords: anti-eczema, anti-inflammatory effects, Inflammatory Response, Pro-inflammatory cytokines, Tea extracts
Received: 03 Apr 2025; Accepted: 30 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Huang, Xuan, Xu, Weng, Yu and Peng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lanyue Zhang, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Biorefinery, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.