| Sumario: | The multielement composition and nutritional value of "dumosa" (Ilex dumosa) (ID),
"yerba mate" (I. paraguariensis) (IP) and their commercial 70:30 mixture (ID:IP, w/w)
in crude drug, brewed mate and tea-bag-like infusion were studied by ICP-OES. This
method allowed the detection of an unprecedented number of elements for these
species. The order was K>Ca>Mg>P>Mn>Al>Na>Si>Fe in crude drug. IP showed higher
concentration of minerals than ID, but most extractability in the latter largely offset its
shortcomings. Brewed mate had higher nutritional value than mate tea because their
higher solute/solvent ratio. A portion of brewed mate of both species exceeded the daily
recommended intake (DRI) of Mn, and providing Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn and K, too. The portions of
mate tea not contribute significantly to the DRI. Some essential trace elements and many
ultra-traces ones that exist in crude drug were not detected in aqueous extracts. Most of
the heavy metals were not leached into extracts, and in any case never exceeded international
safety limits. Therefore, the aqueous extracts of ID and IP and its mixture are
interesting from the nutritional point of view in minerales, and safe in terms of health.
|
|---|
Biblioteca Digital de Vanguardia