Medicinal Beverages Research Articles

Banisteriopsis caapi extract: Implications for neuroinflammatory pathways in Locus coeruleus lesion rodent model

Ethnopharmacology relevanceAyahuasca is a beverage obtained from the decoctions of Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) Morton and Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav., used throughout the Amazon as a medicinal beverage for healing and spiritual exploration. The Banisteriopsis caapi extract consists of harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine (THH); which inhibit the isoforms of monoamine oxidase A and B. In the central nervous system (CNS), it can increase the norepinephrine (NE) concentration, produced in the Locus coeruleus (LC), reducing inflammation that is associated with some neurological disease, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Aim of the studyevaluate the effects of treatment with B. caapi extract on the neuroinflammatory profile in animals with selective LC lesions. Material and methodsmale Wistar rats with LC lesions induced by 6-hydroxydopamine were treated with B. caapi extract. Subsequently, behavioral tests were conducted, including the elevated plus maze, rotarod, and open field. Tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH+) neurons and IBA-1 positive microglia were quantified from the LC inflammatory markers and free radical products were assessed. ResultsBoth 6-Hydroxydopamine hydrochloride and the Banisteriopsis caapi extract causes reduction of LC neurons, at the concentration and frequency used. The LC depletion and the treatment of B. caapi extract interfere with locomotion. B. caapi extract and the LC lesion increased the number and activation of inflammatory cells, such as microglia. B. caapi extract decreases IL-10 in the hippocampus and BDNF gene expression. ConclusionThis study suggests that B. caapi extract (at the concentration and frequency used) promotes noradrenergic neuron depletion and creates a proinflammatory environment in the CNS.

Strategies for Global Promotion of Chinese Yellow Wine: History, Present, and Future Development

Huangjiu, or Chinese Yellow Wine, is a significant cultural heritage item in China, with a long history and traditional brewing techniques. This paper examines the historical significance of Huangjiu, its current market position, and potential strategies for global promotion. Historically, yellow wine has played a pivotal role in Chinese society, being used in rituals, celebrations, and as a medicinal beverage. The production methods, which have been in use for over 3,000 years, contribute to the distinctive flavors and health benefits of the beverage. Currently, Yellow Wine has a robust domestic market driven by cultural preferences and health perceptions. However, it faces challenges in international expansion. These challenges include regulatory barriers, cultural differences, and competition from established wine producers such as those in France, Italy, and Spain. To enhance global brand recognition, it would be beneficial to leverage Chinese cultural events and collaborate with international wine experts. It is essential to improve the legal and regulatory frameworks by establishing standardized quality processes and providing tax incentives. This will facilitate exports and maintain the authenticity of the product. It is imperative that product development innovates, creating new wine varieties and sustainable production methods, to cater to the diverse global market and align with the prevailing sustainability trends. The promotion of Yellow Wine may also be facilitated by the expansion of wine tourism through initiatives such as the establishment of wine theme parks, which would offer visitors immersive cultural experiences. The following recommendations are proposed for stakeholders to consider firstly, producers should focus on quality and innovation; secondly, marketers should develop targeted marketing campaigns; and thirdly, supportive regulatory environments should be created. Further research should investigate the potential health benefits of Yellow Wine, consumer behavior in different regions, and its integration into modern culinary practices. The prospective evolution of Chinese Yellow Wine necessitates a comprehensive strategy that addresses quality, innovation, marketing, and regulatory challenges. By leveraging its distinctive cultural heritage and overcoming obstacles to international expansion, Chinese Yellow Wine can achieve sustained growth and global success. This study highlights the importance of integrating traditional cultural products into the global market to preserve heritage and drive economic growth.

Rooibos tea-in the cross fire of ROS, mitochondrial dysfunction and loss of proteostasis-positioned for healthy aging.

Impaired mitochondrial function and loss of cellular proteostasis control are key hallmarks of aging and are implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. A common denominator is the cell's inability to handle reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to major downstream oxidative damage that exacerbates neuronal dysfunction. Although we have progressed in understanding the molecular defects associated with neuronal aging, many unanswered questions remain. How much ROS is required to serve cellular function before it becomes detrimental and how does the cell's oxidative status impact mitochondrial function and protein degradation through autophagy? How does ROS regulate autophagy? Aspalathus linearis, also commonly known as rooibos, is an endemic South African plant that is gaining globally acclaim for its antioxidant properties and its role as functional medicinal beverage. In this article we dissect the role of rooibos in the context of the cell's ROS handling capacity, mitochondrial function and autophagy activity. By addressing the dynamic relationship between these critical interconnected systems, and by evaluating the functional properties of rooibos, we unravel its position for preserving cell viability and promoting healthy aging.

Effects of Subjective Norm, Attitude and Consumer Desire Toward Intention to Purchase Indonesian Herbal

Jamu is a traditional Indonesian medicinal beverage that has been a heritage product for generations. This research focuses on testing latent constructs used in empirical models to measure the intention of consumers to purchase Javanese Traditional Herbal Medicine Beverage, which is called Jamu or Indonesian herbal. This study involved 318 survey responses from society in Central Java, Indonesia. Data were collected using purposive sampling and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS. The results showed that two hypotheses were rejected of the six hypotheses tested there. Subjective norms are proven to positively affect consumer attitudes and desires but do not significantly to consumer purchase intention on Jamu. Furthermore, consumer attitude successfully contributed positively to increasing consumer desire but insignificant toward consumer purchase intention on Jamu. The other findings revealed that consumer attitude has the greatest role in increasing consumer desire, and consumer desires proved the best precursor of consumer intention to purchase Jamu. Keywords: subjective norm, attitude, intention, jamu, java

Schiff Bases from α-ionone with Adenine, Cytosine, and l-leucine Biomolecules: Synthesis, Structural Features, Electronic Structure, and Medicinal Activities

Tea is a very important source of the terepenoid [Formula: see text]-ionone, which is much appreciated as a medicinal beverage. Schiff bases are a very important class of organic compounds usually formed by the condensation of carbonyl compounds with amines. [Formula: see text]-ionone is a carbonyl terpenoid obtained from Schiff bases on condensation with nucleobases like adenine and cytosine and the amino acid [Formula: see text]-leucine. We synthesized these three Schiff bases and characterized them using UV, FTIR, and H1 and C13-NMR spectra. The molecules were optimized using B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) level followed by the simulation of FT-IR spectra, of which the simulated and experimental spectra showed complete agreement. The UV spectra were simulated using TD-DFT, and the electronic excitations were carefully analyzed. Natural bond orbitals provided an analysis of the stability of the compound, which is supplemented by the data from frontier molecular orbital analysis. Detailed wavefunction analysis is reported which predicts the active centers, reactivity profile, and the extent of non-covalent interactions. PASS indicated that compounds show antieczemic properties and antiarthritic properties, which is confirmed with the help of molecular docking results.

Characterization of tea (Camellia sinensis) granules for quality grading using computer vision system

Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been found as an important medicinal beverage for human which is consumed all over the world. Primarily, the majority of tea is being cultivated in Asia and Africa, however it is commercially produced by more than 60 countries. Though substantial amount is produced, its processing system is still underdeveloped which leads to decrease in export opportunity as well as low monetary value. Moreover, the traditional method of tea grading and sorting is laborious, inefficient, and costly which ultimately produces the low-quality heterogeneous products. Processing and grading of tea granules after drying is very important task for maintaining quality. Computer vision (CV) applications in processing unit especially in grading and sorting of agro-products is very popular and reliable option to improve quality of produce. In this study, an attempt was taken to develop a machine vision system for quality grading of tea granules based on physical parameters of four standard tea grades namely BOP, GBOP, CD and PF. An image acquisition system with suitable illumination arrangement was developed to obtain high resolution image of tea granules. The images were analyzed to extract physical features like projected area, circularity, roundness, ferret diameter, aspect ratio and solidity. Tea granules (BOP, CD, PF and GBOP grade) were found significantly different for the textural features area, perimeter, circularity, roundness and ferret diameter. Projected area, perimeter, and feret diameter treated as a good indicator of the extracted features as the system has been able to significantly (p < 0.01) differentiate among the grade of tea. The developed characterization attributes based on physical features prior to an automatic sorting technology will improve the efficiency and enhance the cost-effectiveness which ultimately led to energize the international export market.

Molecular docking studies of tea (Thea sinensis Linn.) polyphenols inhibition pattern with Rat P-glycoprotein

Abstract Since 3000 B.C., evergreen plant Thea sinensis (Theaceae) is used both as a social and medicinal beverage. Leaves of T. sinensis contain amino acids, vitamins, caffeine, polysaccharides and polyphenols. Most of the natural medicinal actions of tea are due to the availability and abundance of polyphenols mainly catechins. It has also been stated that some catechins were absorbed more rapidly than other compounds after the oral administration of tea and could increase the bio-enhancing activities of anticancer drugs by inhibiting P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The results of the molecular docking showed that polyphenols bind easily to the active P-gp site. All compounds exhibited fluctuating binding affinity ranged from −11.67 to −8.36 kcal/mol. Observed binding energy required for theaflavin to bind to P-gp was lowest (−11.67 kcal/mol). The obtained data that supports all the selected polyphenols inhibited P-gp and therefore may enhance the bioavailability of drugs. This study may play a vital role in finding hotspots in P-gp and eventually may be proved useful in designing compounds with high affinity and specificity to the protein.

Response of Phytochemicals in Bush Tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.) as Influenced by Selected Micronutrients

Bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.) is an herbal beverage and medicinal plant indigenous to South Africa. This study evaluated the effects of micronutrients on bush tea quality. Treatments consisted of single applications of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), boron (Bo), iron (Fe), and magnesium (Mg) at three levels (50, 100, and 150 mL/L) and a combination of all micronutrients. A control treatment with no spray was also included. Tea samples were analyzed using head space solid phase microextraction gas chromatography linked to mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). A significant change in the metabolite profile of bush tea was noted. Five major compounds were identified (&gt;80% identification probability) namely alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, and caryophyllene oxide. A linear relationship between percentage leaf tissues and treatment levels of micronutrients in bush tea was also observed. The liquid chromatography linked to mass spectrometry (LC–MS) showed no significant qualitative difference between the control and the micronutrient treatments. There were significant quantitative differences between the control and treatments applied at 50 and 100 mL/L and the combination (B + Zn + Fe + Cu + Mg) applied at 10 and 20 mL/L. The application of micronutrients did have an influence on the metabolite quantities as has been reported with most secondary metabolite fluctuations caused by plant–environment interactions. Altering the micronutrient application may be a possible solution in achieving commercial agricultural production of this medicinal beverage.

Distribution of phenolic content and screening for antioxidant capacity of different parts of tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.)

Tea is a medicinal beverage manufactured from the plant, Camellia sinensis L. The bud and two adjacent leaves (tea flush) are generally harvested in this process. Currently, it is also used as an ingredient in cosmetic products. The present study was carried out to screen the antioxidant activity and the distribution of phenolic content in different parts of the tea plant for their utilization in other industries. The parts of C. sinensis L. used were tea flush, leaves, branches, seed, pericarp and root. Total phenolic content and antioxidant properties of the aqueous extracts were determined by Folin-Denis method and DPPH assay, respectively. The DPPH scavenging capacity in descending order was bud and first two leaves (tea flush)>tender leaves>mature leaves>seed=pericarp>tender branches>mature branches>root. There was no significant difference between tender leaves and the tea bud with two leaves regarding antioxidant activity. The phenolic content was highest in tea flush and least in root. The antioxidant capacity of the different parts were significantly correlated (r2=0.91; p<0.0001) with their polyphenolic content. Independent of the part of the plant, polyphenols are the principal constituents which are responsible for antioxidant capacity. Tender leaves just below the tea flush cannot be disregarded in cosmetic or food related industries. Key words: Camellia sinensis L., phenolic content, antioxidant potential, tea.

Study on the Anti-Tumor Ability of Niaowangzhong Green Tea

It has been known that green tea not only possesses certain chemo-preventive effects on cancer, but also can kill directly some types of tumor cells. Niaowangzhong tea (C. sinensis), a special tea resource growing in Qiannan Buyi, a Miao Minority Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou province, China, is one of the most popular medicinal beverages for local people there. The aims of this study were to analyze the quality components and their relative contents present in Niaowangzhong green tea and to investigate whether or not the water extract of this green tea has the antitumor capability in vitro and in vivo. Biochemical analysis indicated that this green tea extract contained relatively higher levels of tea polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids compounds and polysaccharides. In the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)−2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide) assay, this green tea extract showed inhibitory activity against several types of tumor cells, including breast, prostate, colorectal and gastric cancer cell lines, with higher selectivity toward human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803. Its 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of MGC-803 was 32.5 μΜ as compared to that (367.9 μΜ) of normal vascular endothelial cells. Cell cycle and apoptosis analyses showed that the proportion of cells arrested at the G0/G1 phase was increased with the increase in concentration, and the proportion of apoptotic cells was also increased. Niaowangzhong green tea extract could significantly inhibit tumor-sphere formation in the in vivo antitumor experiment and the growth of MGC-803-derived tumor in nude mice. At the concentration of 500 mg/kg/day, inhibition rate was 31.0% without causing obvious toxic side effects. This study revealed a potent anti-cancer activity of this special green tea and its promising potential as chemo-preventive agent and proper dietary practice for prevention and control of cancers. Practical Application This study has indicated that Niaowangzhong green tea extract caused stronger cytotoxic effects on two kinds of digestive tract tumor cells HCT-15 and MGC-803, suggesting that as one of the most popular medicinal beverages, this green tea extract may be more suitable for treating digestive tract cancers since it can be more accessible to the locations of digestive and intestinal tracts. Therefore, this specific green tea merits further depth study on underlying mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels and further development for potential medical application and dietary practices for prevention of cancers, especially for digestive and intestinal tracts. Co-administration of the anti-cancer drugs and Niaowangzhong green tea may reduce the toxic side effects and drug resistance while achieving desired effect because of the reason that Niaowangzhong green tea extract are mediated through the synergic effects of a variety of anti-cancer compounds present it and had no obvious toxic side effects.

Chemical assessment of eleven Cinnamon aromatic water populations from Fars (Iran) local markets in comparison to a standard sample

Current study aimed to chemically assess volatile constituents of eleven commercial cinnamon hydrosols purchased from Fars province (Iran) local markets in comparison to a standard sample. Via a liquid extractor, the volatile oil fractions of samples and also the standard hydrosol yielded from essential oil extraction of an authenticated cinnamon bark sample were recovered. Gas chromatography/ flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and subsequently GC/MS (GC/mass spectroscopy) were employed to assess and identify the chemical compositions of prepared samples. The procedure of analysis revealed in the appearance of totally 25 components. Cinnamaldehyde was found as the main constituent in ten populations (S2-S11) as well as in the standard sample (63.04-91.61%). Considerable amounts of Dibutyl phthalate, as a commonly used plasticizer was also detected in all samples. This is the first report of analysis and identification of volatile constituent in cinnamon hydrosol, a common medicinal beverage. Although, high amount of Cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon hydrosol can introduce this tasty medicinal beverage for further studies similar to the respective botanical part or various usual extracts, more comprehensive monitoring is to be performed on safety, purity and quality of such preparation.

Components in aqueous Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower extract inhibit in vitro melanoma cell growth

Skin cancer is extremely common, and melanoma causes about 80% of skin cancer deaths. In fact, melanoma kills over 50 thousand people around the world each year, and these numbers are rising. Clearly, standard treatments are not effectively treating melanoma, and alternative therapies are needed to address this problem. Hibiscus tea has been noted to have medicinal properties, including anticancer effects. Extracts from Hibiscus have been shown to inhibit the growth of a variety of cancer cells. In particular, recent studies found that polyphenols extracted from Hibiscus sabdariffa by organic solvents can inhibit melanoma cell growth. However, effects of aqueous extracts from Hibiscus rosa-sinesis flowers, which are commonly used to make traditional medicinal beverages, have not been examined on melanoma cells. Here, we report that aqueous H. rosa-sinesis flower extract contains compounds that inhibit melanoma cell growth in a dose dependent manner at concentrations that did not affect the growth of nontransformed cells. In addition, these extracts contain low molecular weight growth inhibitory compounds below 3 kD in size that combine with larger compounds to more effectively inhibit melanoma cell growth. Future work should identify these compounds, and evaluate their potential to prevent and treat melanoma and other cancers.

Determination of Effects of Sample Processing on Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Using Tri-step Infrared Spectroscopy

Hibiscus sabdariffa tea is a widely used medicinal beverage and a treatment for high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol in many parts of the world. Many studies on H. sabdariffa have been conducted including extraction and identification of main biocompounds. However, information on the effects of processing the plant is scarce. This is important as sample processing procedure influence the composition of the end product. Hence, the main objective of this present study was to examine the effect of sample processing (non-extracted, ethanol extract and water extract) on H. sabdariffa composition. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) was used for the process of identification. The powdered sample of H. sabdariffa (FT34) was obtained from a local company in Peninsula Malaysia. A fresh sample obtained from the same company was processed in the Phytochemistry Laboratory, Institute for Medical Research and labelled as FT35. Sample and potassium bromide (KBr) were mixed (1:250) to form a 1-2 mm transparent disk under 9.80 psi in vacuum. The FTIR Spectra were recorded with 32 scans and 0.2 cms-1 OPD speed. Spectra of FT34 and FT35 raw samples indicated obvious differences in the range of 1500-1135 cm-1. The FT34 ethanol extract using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) showed that the peak at 1629 cm-1 was the highest in the range of 1800-1500 cm-1, whereas for FT35, the highest peak was 1739 cm-1. The peak at 1071 cm-1 of FT35 was the only one compatible to standard dephinidin-3-O-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-Osambubioside which are used for qualification of sample content. In fact, both standards showed up as different chromatographs in thin layer chromatography. Water extract of FT35 showed a peak at 1676 cm-1 which was not detected in water extract spectrum of FT34, while the pattern of spectrum varied within the range of 1300-400 cm-1. Second derivative spectra enhanced the comparable base peaks of both sample and the target standards. There were five matched ethanol extract base peaks, indicating the macrofingerprint of H. sabdariffa. Two dimensional correlation spectrum of FT34 raw powder showed different correlation spot especially in the cluster of 1425 cm-1 to 1743 cm-1 compared with FT35. The three-stage infrared spectroscopy comprehensively analysed the holographic spectra and hierarchically characterized the integrated constituents involved.

Efficacy of anthocyanin in production of remedial tea

Tea is consumed as a medicinal beverage from centuries, as the medicinal component includes polyphenols, caffeine, and amino acids. Apart from that it also contains flavonoids; compounds reported to have antioxidant properties with many beneficial effects. Anthocyanins belonging to the flavonoid group are naturally occurring compounds that imparts colour to fruits, vegetables and plants. Apart from that it has an array of health promoting benefits. This article has been reviewed to highlight the importance of anthocyanin as well as to motivate research in exploring tea varieties with abundant anthocyanin so that consumption of anthocyanin rich tea or beverage and also use of natural dye made using anthocyanin would replace harmful effects of chemical drugs and also improve country's economy by flourishing the tea industry with increased consumption.

Isolation and Characterization of Bioenhancing Catechins from Thea sinensis Leaves

Thea sinensis syn. Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) is an evergreen shrub indigenous to India. The leaves of this tea plant have been used both as a social and medicinal beverage since 3000 BC [1]. Traditionally green tea is recommended for headaches, body aches and pains, digestion, enhancement of immune defenses, detoxification, as an energizer and to prolong life [2]. The leaves have more than 700 chemical constituents, among which flavanoids, amino acids, vitamins, caffeine and polysaccharides are important to human health. In general, fresh tea leaves contain polyphenols, among which catechins prevail [3]. In the present study, phytochemical and biological screening of leaves of T. sinensis was undertaken. Column chromatography of methanolic extract with chloroform-methanol mixture in the increasing order of polarity yielded six catechins characterized as eremphilanyl gallate, epigallocatechin galactosidic tridecadiene, dimethoxycatechin gallate diglucosidic decane, protocatechinic acid triglycosidic undecane, protocatechinic acid tetraglycosidic decane and protocatechinic acid tetraglycosidic octane on the basis of NMR, ESI-MS, FTIR and UV data. The methanolic extract of tea leaves, at concentrations (3% and 6% w/v), were evaluated as permeation enhancers for amoxicillin using everted rat sac model. amoxicillin is a class III drug with low permeability. The amount of Amoxicillin that traversed the gut was followed spectrophotometrically at 254nm. The extract showed significant increase in its availability at both the concentrations (P<0.05). It has recently been reported that some catechins of green tea enhanced the effect of β-lactams [4]. Here it is postulated that catechins may be responsible for enhanced activity of β-lactams by increasing its availability.

Caffeoylquinic acid derived free radicals identified during antioxidant reactions of bitter tea (Ilex latifolia and Ilex kudincha)

In order to provide some insight into the chemical basis for the antioxidant behaviour of bitter tea, the Chinese medicinal beverage derived from leaves of Ilex kudincha or Ilex latifolia, free radicals generated during the oxidation of aqueous extracts of dried leaves have been investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. With both beverages, the major components in the EPR spectra after accelerated autoxidation under alkaline conditions or oxidation with the superoxide anion radical were comparable to those derived from reactions of caffeoylquinic acids. Thus these reaction products have sufficient stability for biological activity, and the present results suggest that such molecules contribute appreciably to the antioxidant chemistry of these beverages.

Polymorphism and Genetic Relationships among Tea Genotypes from Turkey Revealed by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Markers

Individuals in most countries around the world drink tea (Camellia sinensis). Tea drinking has attained ceremonial status in many places as a social and medicinal beverage. Although tea is of great importance in Turkey's economy, little is known about the pattern of genetic variation among the various tea genotypes grown in Turkey. A total of 32 tea genotypes found at the Ataturk Tea and Horticulture Research Institute in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey were sampled. Fluorescent dye amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and capillary electrophoresis were applied for molecular characterization. The AFLP analysis with six primer combinations generated 835 fragments of which 567 were polymorphic, corresponding to 69.8% polymorphism. Resolving powers of the AFLP primers ranged from 62.6 to 81.9, yielding a total of 437.8; the polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.76 to 0.83, with an average of 0.79. Genetic similarity values ranged from 0.68 to 0.92, with an average of 0.76. The dendrogram derived by unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean algorithm (UPGMA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed that all tea genotypes could be clearly divided into four distinct clusters. The results of this study will provide valuable information to the tea cultivar breeding program for the purpose of parental selection.

Yerba Mate Tea (Ilex paraguariensis): A Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Health Implications, and Technological Considerations

Yerba Mate tea, an infusion made from the leaves of the tree Ilex paraguariensis, is a widely consumed nonalcoholic beverage in South America which is gaining rapid introduction into the world market, either as tea itself or as ingredient in formulated foods or dietary supplements. The indigenous people have used it for centuries as a social and medicinal beverage. Yerba Mate has been shown to be hypocholesterolemic, hepatoprotective, central nervous system stimulant, diuretic, and to benefit the cardiovascular system. It has also been suggested for obesity management. Yerba Mate protects DNA from oxidation and in vitro low-density lipoprotein lipoperoxidation and has a high antioxidant capacity. It has also been reported that Yerba Mate tea is associated to both the prevention and the cause of some types of cancers. Yerba Mate has gained public attention outside of South America, namely the United States and Europe, and research on this tea has been expanding. This review presents the usage, chemistry, biological activities, health effects, and some technological considerations for processing of Yerba Mate tea. Furthermore, it assesses in a concise and comprehensive way the potential of Ilex paraguariensis as a source of biological compounds for the nutraceutical industry.

Guarana (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis), an anciently consumed stimulant from the Amazon rain forest: the seeded-fruit transcriptome

Guarana (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis) is a plant native to the central Amazon basin. Roasted seed extracts have been used as medicinal beverages since pre-Colombian times, due to their reputation as stimulants, aphrodisiacs, tonics, as well as protectors of the gastrointestinal tract. Guarana plants are commercially cultivated exclusively in Brazil to supply the national carbonated soft-drink industry and natural product stores around the world. In this report, we describe and discuss the annotation of 15,387 ESTs from guarana seeded-fruits, highlighting sequences from the flavonoid and purine alkaloid pathways, and those related to biotic stress avoidance. This is the largest set of sequences registered for the Sapindaceae family.

Highly oxidized ellagitannins and their biological activity.

Polyphenols such as flavonoids and tannins in medicinal plants, foods, and beverages are attracting considerable attention in human health care because of their biologically multifunctional properties. These properties include antioxidant activity due to radical scavenging action and anti-HIV, antitumor activities, and inhibitory effects on various enzymes.1 Among them, the antioxidant potency of tannins and related polyphenols is thought especially promising for the prevention of human carcinogenesis and other aged-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis and cerebrovascular attack, which are implicated in accumulated cellular damage by active oxygen species or free radicals.