Black Tea (Camellia sinensis) Extract Induced Changes on Placenta can Alter Fetal and Neonatal Bone Health in Experimental Animal Model

Tea (Camellia sinensis) being the most consumed beverage worldwide. The safety evaluation of tea needs to be monitored during pregnancy, prenatal and postnatal developmental period beside its beneficial roles toward health and disease. Retardation of growth of fetus and neonates are common in preeclampsia. Present study was to evaluate the role of Black Tea extract (BTE) on placental and apoptotic markers in pregnant Wister albino rats and to correlate it the growth of fetus and pups. Among three experimental groups, Group 1 was pregnant female rats treated with saline, were the control group. Group 2 and Group 3 were pregnant female rats treated with 50 mg and 100 mg BTE/kg/day, p.o. respectively throughout prenatal and postnatal periods. Expressions of BMP-7, MMP-2 and VEGFR2 in placenta were examined by flow cytometry; Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 expressions in uteri and placenta were observed by IHC. Bone health of fetus and pup were checked by histology, bone-cartilage double staining and estimation of bone mineral density by ICP-MS. Experimental data were subjected to the ANOVA; expressed as mean ± standard deviation with significance (P < 0.05) between the controls and the treated groups (n = 6). BTE increased the level of MMP-2, Bax and caspase-3; decreased the level of BMP-7 in placenta. In fetus and pups, BTE significantly decreased the concentration of Ca2+, P, Mg2+ and Zn2+ in bone and decreased the rate of ossification were observed. This study confirmed BTE induced preeclampsia retarded the fetal and neonatal bone health in experimental animal model