Direct Evidence of Interaction of a Green Tea Polyphenol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, with Lipid Bilayers by Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

The interaction of a tea catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), with the model membrane of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) was studied by solid-state ³¹P and ²H NMR. The ³¹P chemical shift anisotropy of the DMPC phosphate group decreased on addition of EGCg. The ²H NMR spectrum of [4-²H]EGCg, which is deuterated at the 4-position, in the DMPC liposomes gave deuterium nuclei with much smaller quadrupole splittings than those in the solid phase. These ³¹P and ²H NMR observations provide direct experimental evidence that the EGCg molecule interacts with the lipid bilayers.