%0 Journal Article
%T Bioactive triterpenoids from the caffeine-rich plants guayusa and maté.
%A Chianese G
%A Golin-Pacheco SD
%A Taglialatela-Scafati O
%A Collado JA
%A Munoz E
%A Appendino G
%A Pollastro F
%J Food Res Int
%V 115
%N 0
%D 01 2019
%M 30599971
%F 7.425
%R 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.10.005
%X Unlike all other caffeinated plants, guayusa (Ilex guayusa Loes.) and maté (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hill) contain high amounts of pentacyclic triterpenoid acids and alcohols. A phytochemical investigation on these plants revealed a similar triterpenoid profile and a content of ursolic acid (0.7-1%) and amyrin esters (up to 0.5%), quite unusual for dietary plants. The major constituent of the amyrin complex from both plants is α-amyrin palmitate (2a), accompanied by lower amounts of its corresponding palmitoleate (2b) and by the corresponding constitutional isomers from the β-series (3a and 3b, respectively). Ursolic acid (1) was identified as the responsible for the activity of maté and guayusa extracts in the activation of TGR5, a nuclear receptor of relevance for the prevention and management of diabetes and metabolic syndrome because of its involvement in the regulation of energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity.