Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis, A. St. Hilaire) is a plant widely consumed traditionally in southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay as an aqueous infusion of the leaves, generally known as yerba mate tea (YMT). YMT contains high amounts of purine alkaloids (caffeine), caffeolyquinic acid derivatives, flavonoids (quercetin and rutin), and triterpenoid saponins. YMT has been reported to have various biological activities, which have been related to its high content of polyphenols. The objectives were to investigate the effect of commercial preparations in comparison to artisan drying processes and drinking styles that affect their flavor and chemical composition. Also, analyze updated scientific information on YMT, including its composition, physiological effects, and potential health implications. Indigenous people have used it for centuries as a social and medicinal beverage. In Latin America, YMT is often drank out of a dried gourd using a metal straw called “bombilla.” The dry leaves (about 50 g) are packed into the gourd and hot water is poured over them; this is then repeated multiple times. In the United States, however, Mate is commercially packed in individual tea bags (1 to 2 g) or as Mate tea concentrate for use as ingredient in the food or dietary supplement industries. Total polyphenol concentration of various commercially available traditional YMT products ranged from 236 to 490 mg equiv of chlorogenic acid (CH)/g of dry leaves, significantly different among products depending on their origin (P &lt; 0.001). Traditional YMT are mate products containing only leaves without additional components or extracts. Nontraditional YMT are mate leaves and stems combined with other ingredients including small dried fruit pieces, dehydrated milk powder, sugar, and natural herbs and flavors. Total polyphenol content in traditional products ranged from 3.4 to 7.4 mg of CH/mL of fresh tea and from 0.02 to 1.80 mg of CH/mL of fresh tea in nontraditional ones. In the group of traditional products, Nobleza Gaucha Classic, Kraus-Organic, Taragui Special, and Nobleza Gaucha Special had the highest polyphenol concentrations. Among nontraditional YMT products, Lemon Taragui, Adelgamate with natural herbs, Morning Thunder, and Tazo tropic mate had the highest polyphenol concentrations (P &lt; 0.001). There are significant differences in chemical composition of YMT depending on processing methods used, artisan or mass-produced tea.

Impact on chemical composition of yerba mate tea using artisan methods in comparison to mass-produced technology

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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