Tea crude extracts effectively inactivate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Abstract

It is well known that black and green tea extracts, particularly polyphenols, have antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microbes including viruses. However, there is limited data on the antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), which emerged rapidly in China in late 2019 and which has been responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic globally. In this study, 20 compounds and three extracts were obtained from black and green tea and found that three tea extracts showed significant antiviral activity against SARS‐CoV‐2, whereby the viral titre decreased about 5 logs TCID50 per ml by 1·375 mg ml−1 black tea extract and two‐fold diluted tea bag infusion obtained from black tea when incubated at 25°C for 10 s. However, when concentrations of black and green tea extracts were equally adjusted to 344 µg ml−1, green tea extracts showed more antiviral activity against SARS‐CoV‐2. This simple and highly respected beverage may be a cheap and widely acceptable means to reduce SARS‐CoV‐2 viral burden in the mouth and upper gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts in developed as well as developing countries.

Causal associations of tea intake with COVID-19 infection and severity

“…Tea drinking is commonly regarded as a convenient and safe complementary therapy and healthy habit. Recent modeling studies have shown that various tea components are highly effective in blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection ( 24 , 25 , 47 , 48 ). In addition, tea polyphenols might suppress the virus through their beneficial effects on intestinal microbiota ( 49 ).…”

Therapeutic effectiveness of green tea leaf extract on clinical symptoms in children suffering viral gastroenteritis: A randomized clinical trial

“…Previous studies have shown the dramatic effect of green tea on dangerous viral diseases. 12 , 13 . Recent studies have shown that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in green tea has antiviral effects.…”

The medicinal value of tea drinking in the management of COVID-19

“…One study found that this effect was not produced by just one compound, and that multiple components in tea work synergistically and in a concentration-dependent manner. The use of tea concentrate as an oral spray formulation may inactivate the virus in the mouth for preventive purposes [ 74 ].…”