(+)-Catechin (hydrate)

Catechin is a polyphenolic flavonoid which has been isolated from a variety of natural sources including tea leaves, grape seeds, and the wood and bark of trees such as acacia and mahogany. Catechin is a more potent antioxidant than ascorbate or α-tocopherol in certain in vitro lipid peroxidation assays.(7582) Catechin inhibits the free radical-induced oxidation of isolated LDL by AAPH.(7442) It has also been reported to act as an inhibitor of COX-1 with an IC50 value of about 80 µM.(8140) Catechin and other related procyanidin compounds have antitumor activity when tested in a two-stage mouse epidermal carcinoma model employing topical application.(7582)