Abstract
Airborne fine dust particles (FDPs) have been identified as major toxins in air pollution that threaten human respiratory health. While searching for an anti-FDP reagent, we found that green tea extract (GTE) and fractions rich in flavonol glycosides (FLGs) and crude tea polysaccharides (CTPs) had protective effects against FDP-stimulated cellular damage in the BEAS-2B airway epithelial cell line. The GTE, FLGs, and CTPs significantly increased viability and lowered oxidative stress levels in FDP-treated cells. Combined treatment with GTE, FLGs, and CTPs also exerted synergistic protective effects on cells and attenuated FDP-induced elevations in inflammatory gene expression. Moreover, the green tea components increased the proportion of ciliated cells and upregulated ciliogenesis in the airway in FDP-stimulated BEAS-2B cells. Our findings provide insights into how natural phytochemicals protect the airway and suggest that green tea could be used to reduce FDP-induced airway damage as an ingredient in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and also cosmeceutical products.