Treatment of inflammation

A method of treating inflammation in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising an effective amount of at least one compound selected from the group of catechin, epicatechin, polymeric compounds of the formula An, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and an oxidation product thereof:

• wherein
• n is an integer from 2 to 18, such that there is at least one terminal monomeric unit A, and one or a plurality of additional monomeric units;
• R is 3-(α)-OH, 3-(β)-OH, 3-(α)-O-sugar, or 3-(β)-O-sugar;
• bonding between adjacent monomers takes place at positions selected from the group consisting of 4, 6 and 8;
• a bond of an additional monomeric unit in position 4 has alpha or beta stereochemistry;
• X, Y and Z are selected from the group consisting of monomeric unit A, hydrogen, and a sugar, with the proviso that as to the at least one terminal monomeric unit, bonding of the additional monomeric unit thereto is at position 4 and optionally Y=Z=hydrogen;
• wherein the sugar is optionally substituted with a phenolic moiety;
• wherein the subject is a human or a veterinary animal.