Inhibitory Effect of Japanese Green Tea Extracts on Growth of Canine Oral Bacteria

The ethanol extracts from Japanese green tea from the leaf of Camellia sinensis (Japanese green tea) contained polyphenol compounds as major components. By liquid and gas chromatographic analysis, 5 catechin compounds were detected. The tea extracts (Deochon 13189-B, Deochon 30 EX and Camellia 50 EX) were found to effectively inhibit the growth of canine oral bacteria. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was different among genus, species and strains of the bacteria. Canine periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas assacharolytica were sensitive to the tea extracts. Similar result was obtained by using human oral bacteria including periodontal pathogens. These results suggest that the tea extracts would be useful as anti-periodontitis agent and/or flora control agent in dogs.