Bioavailability of chlorogenic acids in rats after acute ingestion of maté tea (Ilex paraguariensis) or 5-caffeoylquinic acid.

PURPOSE: Yerba maté is widely consumed in South America as different beverages, such as maté tea (roasted leaves) and chimarrão (green dried leaves), and linked to health benefits, mainly attributed to chlorogenic acids (CGAs). Health effects of CGAs depend on their bioavailability, but such data are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of CGAs and metabolites in tissues, hepatic and plasmatic kinetic profile and urinary excretion after ingestion of maté tea or 5-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA). METHODS: Wistar rats ingested maté tea (MT) or 5-CQA (ST) and were killed after 1.5 h for tissue distribution analysis (pilot study) or at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 h for liver and plasma kinetics (main experiment). Urine was collected in metabolic cages. Biological samples were analyzed by UPLC-DAD-MS with and without incubation with ß-glucuronidase and sulfatase. RESULTS: CGAs and metabolites were detected in all tissues. Caffeic acid was the main compound in plasma up to 2 h after ingestion of maté tea, while 5-CQA predominated in ST group. Concentration of microbial metabolites increased 4 h after gavage and reached higher amounts in MT plasma and liver, when compared to ST group. Approximately 4.0 % of compounds ingested by MT and 3.3 % by ST were recovered in urine up to 8 h after the gavage. CONCLUSION: The study confirms that not only absorption, but also metabolization of CGAs begins in stomach. There were differences in compounds formed from maté tea or isolated 5-CQA, showing that CGAs profile in food may influence qualitatively and quantitatively the metabolites formed in the body.

Caffeic and chlorogenic acids in Ilex paraguariensis extracts are the main inhibitors of AGE generation by methylglyoxal in model proteins.

The present study concentrates on the evaluation of the anti-glycation effect of some bioactive substances present in yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): 5-caffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid and a sapogenin (oleanolic acid). Bovine serum albumin and histones were incubated in the presence of methylglyoxal with or without the addition of 5-caffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid and oleanolic acid. After the incubation period, advanced glycation end product (AGE) fluorescence spectra were performed and protein structural changes were evaluated by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid are the main substances responsible for the anti-glycation effect of maté tea.

Chlorogenic acid protects paraoxonase 1 activity in high density lipoprotein from inactivation caused by physiological concentrations of hypochlorite.

We hypothesized that chlorogenic acids, the main phenolics in coffee, many fruits and Ilex paraguariensis extracts, protect paraoxonase 1 activity in HDL from inactivation by chlorination at concentrations of HOCl (50 microM) and chlorogenic acid (2-10 microM) compatible with those found in humans. When human HDL was incubated in the presence of HOCl/OCl-, a concentration dependent loss of activity was apparent. Of interest, 5 caffeoylquinic acid at 5 micromol/L affords more than 60% protection of the activity reaching 100% at 25 micromol/L. This compound and the plant sources that are rich in them may be protectors of paraoxonase 1 activity.

Phenolic antioxidants identified by ESI-MS from Yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) and green tea (Camelia sinensis) extracts.

Aqueous extracts of green yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) and green tea (Camellia sinensis) are good sources of phenolic antioxidants, as already described in the literature. The subject of this study were organic extracts from yerba maté, both green and roasted, and from green tea. Their phenolic profiles were characterized by direct infusion electrospray insertion mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and their free radical scavenging activity was determined by the DPPH assay. Organic extracts containing phenolic antioxidants might be used as natural antioxidants by the food industry, replacing the synthetic phenolic additives used nowadays. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts from green yerba maté, roasted yerba maté and green tea showed excellent DPPH scavenging activity (>89%). The ether extracts from green and roasted yerba maté displayed a weak scavenging activity, different from the behavior observed for the green tea ether extract. The main phenolic compounds identified in green yerba maté water and ethanolic extracts were: caffeic acid, quinic acid, caffeoyl glucose, caffeoylquinic acid, feruloylquinic acid, dicaffeoylquinic acid and rutin. After the roasting process two new compounds were formed: caffeoylshikimic acid and dicaffeoylshikimic acid. The ethanolic extracts from yerba maté, both roasted and green, with lower content of phenolic compounds (3.80 and 2.83 mg/mL) presented high antioxidant activity and even at very low phenolic concentrations, ether extract from GT (0.07 mg/mL) inhibited DPPH over 90%.

Composição em ácidos graxos de cápsulas comerciais de óleo de peixe / Fatty acid composition of commercial fish oil capsules

Os óleos de peixe são as principais fontes dos ácidos graxos eicosapentaenóico (EPA) e docoxahexaenóico (DHA), aos quais são atribuídos efeitos benéficos na prevenção e tratamento de certas doenças cardiovasculares e inflamatórias. A crescente oferta comercial de cápsulas de óleo de peixe levou os autores a verificar sua qualidade. Foi analisada a composição em ácidos graxos de 10 amostras comerciais de suplementos alimentares à base de óleos de peixe, por meio de cromatografia em fase gasosa. Os resultados mostraram que três amostras de óleo de peixe apresentaram o conteúdo de EPA + DHA de acordo com a declaração do fabricante, e uma das amostras estava completamente em desacordo com os valores declarados no rótulo.

Caracterização morfohistológica e verificação da atividade microbiológica da espécie vegetal Mikania cordifolia (Lf) Willd / Morphologic and anatomic study of the microbiological activity of Mikania cordifolia (Lf) Willd

A espécie vegetal Mikania corfifolia (Lf) Willdenow, conhecida pelos nomes vulgares de guaco e de coração-de-Jesus foi estudada morfohistologicamente visando fornecer subsídios à identificação da droga. Foi, ainda, efetuada a abordagem fitoquímica visando detectar classes de substâncias nela presentes e o estudo da atividade microbiológica de seu óleo essencial e de seu extrato fluido ante microorganismos gram-positivos e gram-negativos.

Análise de méis produzidos na regiäo Bragantina / Analysis of honey produced in Bragança's region

Méis comercializados em Bragança Paulista foram analisados quanto ao teor de umidade, teor de açúcares redutores, índice de diastase, teor de cinzas, pH e quanto à possibilidade de adulteraçäo e aquecimento excessivo (testes de Lugol de Fihe). Procedeu-se também análise polínica para verificar se o rótulo indicava corretamente a origem botânica das amostras. Foi analisada uma amostra de mel silvestre da abelha jataí (Tetragonisca angustula). As análises indicaram que todas as amostras estäo dentro das especificaçöes (os ítens analisados) de mel de mesa. A análise polínica mostrou que as amostras estavam corretamente descritas quanto à origem floral.

Açúcares do mel: aspectos analíticos / The sugar of honey: analytical aspects

Os açúcares glicose e frutose, juntamente com a água perfazem cerca de 85 por cento da composiçäo do mel, sendo que os únicos monossacarídeos säo a glicose e a frutose, que säo ligadas através de açäo enzimática para dar origem a uma série de oligossacarídeos. A análise de açúcares do mel é objeto de estudo há mais de um século, e várias metodologias sao empregadas com este fim.