title: Green tea cultivar 'Benifuuki' potentiates split vaccine-induced immunoglobulin A production.
abstract: Influenza is a widespread disease caused by infection with the influenza virus. Vaccination is considered to be the main countermeasure against influenza. A split vaccine is widely used to avoid severe adverse events, and it induces strong humoral immunity. However, the split vaccine alone cannot elicit mucosal immunity, including IgA production, and its preventative effects are limited. Here, we show that the green tea cultivar 'Benifuuki' extract enhanced the effect of a split vaccine on mucosal immunity. The frequency of IgA+cells was increased in lung and Peyer's patch that received Benifuuki diet. Secretion of hemagglutinin-specific mucosal IgA, which is closely linked to the prevention of viral infection, was significantly increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of split vaccine-immunized BALB/c mice that were administered green tea Benifuuki extract. Our findings suggest that Benifuuki intake enhanced the effects of the split vaccine on mucosal immunity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Yeong-Seon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Motofumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumazoe
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamatsu
authors.affiliation: Products Research and Development Laboratory, Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd., Ibaraki, 302-0106, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.affiliation: Products Research and Development Laboratory, Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd., Ibaraki, 302-0106, Japan.
authors.forename: Saki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonoda
authors.affiliation: Products Research and Development Laboratory, Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd., Ibaraki, 302-0106, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Products Research and Development Laboratory, Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd., Ibaraki, 302-0106, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan. tatibana@agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tachibana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013662:Tea
keywords: Benifuuki; Green tea; Influenza virus; Methylated EGCG; Split vaccine; Virus-specific IgA