1. Comparative nutritional and mineral value of Ilex paraguariensis, I. dumosa and their mix

MAIOCCHI, MARCOS GABRIEL; DEL VITTO, LUIS A.; MARCHEVSKY, EDUARDO JORGE; PELLERANO, ROBERTO GERARDO; AVANZA, MARÍA VICTORIA; PETENATTI, ELISA M.

San Juan

Congreso; II Reunión Conjunta de las Sociedades de Biología de Argentina; 2011

?Yerba mate? is a nutritional product traditionally made in South America with leaves and tender stems of Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. (aquifoliaceae) (IP). Recently Argentinian market has joined I. dumosa Reissek (?yerba señorita?) (ID), with lower xanthine content, that appears in mixing with the former, labeled ?Suave-Relax? (70% ID and 30% IP) (ID+IP). This study was conducted to compare nutritional and elemental parameters of ?yerba mate? prepared from IP, ID, and ID+IP, both in raw drug as the two forms most frequently used in the region: ?cebadura? (discontinuous extraction) and ?mate cocido? (c. 1.5% infusion). Crude drug and extracts were analyzed using AOAC and IRAM, Kjeldahl, HPLC-UV, and ICP-OES methods. Studied products were within the variability allowed by Argentinean Food Code. Nutritional properties vary mainly in xanthines and minerals, that were greater in IP. Highlighted the low level of caffeine in samples of ID (0.1-0.25g%g) compared with IP (1.25-1.7g%g). Chlorogenic acids ranged from 5.1-6g%g in ID and 14-16g%g in IP. ?Cebadura? is source of Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu, and minor source of Zn, Ca, and P,while ?mate cocido? shows lower input as the minor serving size. Both species show low content of Na and high concentration of Mn. Regarding ID+IP, analytical values were closely related with their 70:30 ratio.