The chlorogenic acid and caffeine content of yerba maté

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Vol.49, n. 3 : pp. 399-404, May 2006 ISSN 1516-8913 Printed in Brazil

BRAZILIAN ARCHIVES OF BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY
A N I N T E R N A T I O N A L J O U R N A L

Bioactive Compounds Content of Chimarrão Infusions Related to the Moisture of Yerba Maté (Ilex Paraguariensis) Leaves
Deborah H. M. Bastos*, Ana Claudia Fornari, Yara S. Queiroz and Elizabeth A. F. S. Torres
Departamento de Nutrição; Faculdade de Saúde Pública; Universidade de São Paulo; Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715; [e-mail]; 01246-904; São Paulo - SP - Brasil

ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the processing stages of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) on the moisture content of the leaves and the efficiency of the aqueous extraction of some bioactive substances. Samples of yerba maté were analyzed for caffeine, phenolic acids (caffeic acid, 5-caffeoilquinic acid) and flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol and myricetin) by HPLC equipped with a diode array detector. Processing widely influenced the caffeine and 5-caffeoilquinic acid content of the aqueous extract (p < 0.05), which was related to the moisture content of the leaves. Caffeic acid was present in 45% of the in infusions from dried mate leaves. Quercetin, myricetin and kaempferol were not detected. Key words: Yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis), processing, bioactive substances

INTRODUCTION
Yerba maté was being consumed by native South American Indians when the new world was discovered by the European people. Native South Americans were aware of yerba maté’s stimulating properties due to caffeine. Nowadays, yerba maté beverages are also recognized as a rich source of antioxidant substances, the phenolic acids (Carini et al., 1998; Clifford and Ramirez-Martinez, 1990; Filip et al., 2000; Mazzafera, 1997), which are readily absorbed by the body (Bravo, 1998; Olthof et al., 2001; Olthof et al., 2003) and are responsible for the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant effect of these beverages (Baisch et al., 1998;