Utilization of Tea Polyphenols Against Pesticide Induced Toxicity: International and National Scenario

Exposure to pesticides has become a major toxic threat to human and non-target species in India due to the extensive use of chemical-based pesticides in agriculture and for public health purposes. Pesticide induced DNA damage is caused by exposure to certain carcinogenic pesticides through DNA adduct formation and generating altered cells, and subsequently leading to health hazards including cancer. Bio-pesticides are available to prevent the menace of pesticides on human health, such as integrated pest management, use of personal protective measures, or use of non chemical. Being an agrarian country and its sole dependency on agriculture sectors for most rural employment, India continues to expect its dependency on chemical pesticides, as evident from the high annual demand for pesticides. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an effective approach to reduce the harmful impacts of unavoidable human encounters with toxic pesticides. In this endeavor, preventive measures in the form of functional foods and dietary antioxidants could be employed as one of the complementary and alternative therapeutic approaches to counteract against the ill effects of pesticides in humans. In the past, tea polyphenols have demonstrated an excellent ability to reduce toxicant-induced cellular damage, and DNA damage through mutations, apoptosis, and cancer. In the present review, we have summarized the research carried out on the use of tea polyphenols to counter pesticide toxicity so far and discussed it further from the viewpoint of International and national importance