The potential for black tea in combating arsenic toxicity

Groundwater contamination with inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a global problem, chronic exposure to which causes several health hazards. Preliminary manifestations of chronic iAs exposure appear on the skin, which may develop into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). iAs promotes the excess generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing damage to DNA, lipids, and protein; it disrupts antioxidant machinery, perturbs repair potential, promotes inflammatory conditions, induces epigenetic modulations, and alters signaling pathways, triggering epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and hence carcinogenesis. Antioxidants may come to the rescue, which may quench ROS, the key player in these events. Black tea, a popular beverage and a good antioxidant, may quench iAs-induced ROS and counter its associated adverse effects preventing SCC.