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4 Bioactive Features of Yerba Mate Infusions: Alkaloids, Phenolics …
4.3 Health and Xanthines
As discussed in Chap. 3, xanthines are normally found in tea, chocolate products,
coffee, and yerba mate (Heck and De Mejia 2007). Their health effects are generally
correlated and well represented by the most interesting of these molecules, caffeine.
Its effects can be simply listed as follows:
(a) Antioxidant agent (with polyphenols and some minerals, caffeine and other
xanthines may be an excellent barrier against many oxidant menaces)
(b) Vasodilatator agent (this reason explains very well its consumption as coffee
and coffee products. In relation to yerba mate, the reason is still valid)
(c) Anti-carcinogenic agent
(d) Stimulant molecule (its use in many non-alcoholic beverages is linked to its
stimulant capability)
(e) Diuretic agent
(f) Anti-obesity factor (weight loss).
It has to be remembered that caffeine is also intended to be ‘mateine’ when
speaking of yerba mate. With reference to another South American beverage,
guaranà, the same molecule is also named ‘guaranine’ demonstrating that the strong
interest in different caffeine properties is not only a distinct feature of coffee products
(Burdan 2015; Martínez-Huitle et al. 2010; Riahi et al. 2009; Sanchis-Gomar et al.
2015; Senchina et al. 2014).
4.4 Health and Saponins
The main chemical feature of saponins is the high solubility in water. This fact
can explain the related surfactant ability to disrupt vegetable membranes, being so
able to create large micelles with bile acids and steroids. On the other hand, certain
features of folk medicines associated with (or containing) yerba mate may partially
be explained, with specific reference to claimed hypocholesterolemic feature of I.
paraguariensis. In other words, substances such as the five matesaponins (1–5) found
in yerba mate may be able to inhibit the passive diffusion of cholic acid. As a result,
the production of dangerous micelles (which could not be absorbed and consequently
eliminated by the human organism) would be avoided or limited. Saponins are also
reported to have certain anti-fungal, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic activity among
all reported features for yerba mate and other vegetable species (Ferreira et al. 1997;
Fleck et al. 2019; Wang et al. 2010).
4 Bioactive Features of Yerba Mate Infusions: Alkaloids, Phenolics …
4.3 Health and Xanthines
As discussed in Chap. 3, xanthines are normally found in tea, chocolate products,
coffee, and yerba mate (Heck and De Mejia 2007). Their health effects are generally
correlated and well represented by the most interesting of these molecules, caffeine.
Its effects can be simply listed as follows:
(a) Antioxidant agent (with polyphenols and some minerals, caffeine and other
xanthines may be an excellent barrier against many oxidant menaces)
(b) Vasodilatator agent (this reason explains very well its consumption as coffee
and coffee products. In relation to yerba mate, the reason is still valid)
(c) Anti-carcinogenic agent
(d) Stimulant molecule (its use in many non-alcoholic beverages is linked to its
stimulant capability)
(e) Diuretic agent
(f) Anti-obesity factor (weight loss).
It has to be remembered that caffeine is also intended to be ‘mateine’ when
speaking of yerba mate. With reference to another South American beverage,
guaranà, the same molecule is also named ‘guaranine’ demonstrating that the strong
interest in different caffeine properties is not only a distinct feature of coffee products
(Burdan 2015; Martínez-Huitle et al. 2010; Riahi et al. 2009; Sanchis-Gomar et al.
2015; Senchina et al. 2014).
4.4 Health and Saponins
The main chemical feature of saponins is the high solubility in water. This fact
can explain the related surfactant ability to disrupt vegetable membranes, being so
able to create large micelles with bile acids and steroids. On the other hand, certain
features of folk medicines associated with (or containing) yerba mate may partially
be explained, with specific reference to claimed hypocholesterolemic feature of I.
paraguariensis. In other words, substances such as the five matesaponins (1–5) found
in yerba mate may be able to inhibit the passive diffusion of cholic acid. As a result,
the production of dangerous micelles (which could not be absorbed and consequently
eliminated by the human organism) would be avoided or limited. Saponins are also
reported to have certain anti-fungal, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic activity among
all reported features for yerba mate and other vegetable species (Ferreira et al. 1997;
Fleck et al. 2019; Wang et al. 2010).