The effect of mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) on metabolic and inflammatory parameters in high-fat diet-fed Wistar rats

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) aqueous extract consumption on metabolic indicators and inflammatory response of peritoneal macrophages in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male Wistar rats were fed a control diet or a HFD for 12 weeks. At the end of this period, rats received, or not, daily doses of yerba maté for 4 weeks. The consumption of yerba maté promoted weight loss, attenuated the HFD-detrimental effects on adiposity and insulin sensitivity and decreased blood levels of the inflammatory biomarkers (p < 0.05). Concerning peritoneal macrophages, mate tea consumption decreased the production of interleukin (IL)-6, but did not influence the production of IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α and nitric oxide; cytokine mRNA expression; or the activation of the nuclear factor-κB signalling pathway. In summary, the consumption of mate tea had no consistent effect in the inflammatory response of peritoneal macrophages, but reduced cardiometabolic risk markers.

Keywords::

• high-fat diet
• inflammation
• macrophages
• nuclear factor-κB
• yerba maté

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Daniela M. de Oliveira for assistance with the characterization of yerba maté bioactive compounds and Ivanir S. O. Pires and Mariana C. Ferreira for general technical assistance.

Declaration of interest : This work was financially supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (2009/50269-0) and from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (470418/2009-5). M.C.B. was supported by a fellowship from FAPESP (2009/02371-0)).The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.