Metilxantinas e compostos fenólicos em amostras de erva-mate.

Currently Brazil is one of the largest producers of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill) with most of the commercial production in plantations without genetic improvement or extraction into areas of natural occurrence. The production and accumulation of compounds of interest such as methylxanthines and phenolic compounds can vary by genetic factors as by environmental factors. This study aimed to quantify the levels of caffeine and theobromine by high-performance liquid chromatography and total phenolic, Folin Ciocalteu method, in extracts prepared by the infusion of dried and crushed leaves in boiling water from the 52 yerba mate progenies, 49 coming from Ivaí / PR and 3 grown at Embrapa Forests. The maximum level of caffeine found 2.39 g/100 g of dry leaf, theobromine 1.56 g/ 100 g and phenolic compounds 13.38 g/100g. In 4 samples evaluated the concentration of the methylxantine theobromine was below the limit of quantification, the minimum content of caffeine was found to be 0.01 g/100g and a minimum amount of phenolic compounds was 6.65 g /100g