Abstract
The leaves, stems and whole plant of Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mate) were characterized in terms of their chemical composition and biological activities in order to determine which part of the plant is more interesting to develop bioactive formulations. The yerba mate samples contain at least five free sugars, five organic acids, eighteen fatty acids, one tocopherol, nine hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives and two flavonols. The leaf extract revealed the highest antioxidant activity, correlating with its highest levels of phenolic compounds. By contrast, the stem extract showed the highest anti-inflammatory potential and was also the most potent against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines, probably due to the presence of other phytochemicals. The absence of hepatotoxicity in the extracts was confirmed in porcine liver primary cells. Although the yerba mate extracts have been widely studied, this report shows for the first time the distinct potentialities of each individual part of the plant.
Highlights
In the past decades, research has shown the potential exploitation of plant products as a source of new bioactive compounds for the production of nutraceuticals, functional foods, and food additives (Gil-Chávez et al, 2013)
No significant differences was found regarding the energetic contribution of whole plant and leaves samples (1666 kJ/100 g dw and 1668 kJ/100 g dw, respectively), with a slightly inferior value corresponding to the stems sample
The leaves showed the highest contents of sucrose, trehalose and raffinose, while the whole plant presented the highest content in glucose and the stems the highest levels of fructose
Summary
Research has shown the potential exploitation of plant products as a source of new bioactive compounds for the production of nutraceuticals, functional foods, and food additives (Gil-Chávez et al, 2013). The powder made with yerba mate leaves and fine stems is widely consumed in Argentina, southern of Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, both as a source of caffeine in place of tea and coffee, and as a therapeutic agent due to its known pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and weight reducing activities (Bracesco, Sanchez, Contreras, Menini, & Gugliucci, 2011). It constitutes the basis for the preparation of some very traditional and popular beverages namely “chimarrão” (green dried leaves prepared with hot water), “tererê” (green dried leaves prepared with cold water) and mate tea (roasted leaves prepared with hot water or used to produce soft drinks) (Lima, Oliveira, Silva, Maia, Moura & Lisboa, 2014). The biological activities include antioxidant, antiinflammatory and cytotoxic potentials of methanol/water extracts, along with an assessment of its toxicity, tested in a primary cell culture of porcine liver cells
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