Direct evidence of interaction of a green tea polyphenol, epigallocatechin gallate, with lipid bilayers by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance

The interaction of a tea catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), with the model membrane of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) was studied by solid-state P-31 and H-2 NMR. The P-31 chemical shift anisotropy of the DMPC phosphate group decreased on addition of EGCg. The H-2 NMR spectrum of [4-H-2]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 P-31 and H-2 NMR observations provide direct experimental evidence that the EGCg molecule interacts with the lipid bilayers.