Optimized Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, Ilex paraguariensis, and Aspalathus linearis blend presents high antioxidant and antiproliferative activities in a beverage model.

Food Chem. 2018 Jul 15;254:348-358. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.02.021. Epub 2018 Feb 6. Santos JS1, Deolindo CTP2, Hoffmann JF3, Chaves FC3, do Prado-Silva L4, Sant'Ana AS4, Azevedo L5, do Carmo MAV5, Granato D6. Author information 1 Food Science and Technology Graduate Program, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil. 2 Department of Food Engineering, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil. 3 Graduate Program of Food Science and Technology, Agroindustrial Science and Technology Department, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. 4 Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. 5 Federal University of Alfenas, Faculty of Nutrition, Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 714, 37130-000 Alfenas, MG, Brazil. 6 Food Science and Technology Graduate Program, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil; Department of Food Engineering, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil. Electronic address: dgranato@uepg.br. Abstract A statistical optimization study was conducted to obtain a tea containing fermented rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), white tea (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis), and roasted mate (Ilex paraguariensis). An optimal combination of these species was proposed. This optimized tea inhibited 64% the lipoperoxidation in vitro and presented a high phenolic content, especially kaempferol, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, rutin, (-)-epigallocatechin, and (-)-epicatechin-2-O-gallate. Indeed, the antioxidant effect was confirmed by decreasing 30% the reactive oxygen species generation in human hepatoma carcinoma cells (HepG2, 100 and 240 µg/mL). In the cell viability assay, the GI50 for human colorectal adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (Caco-2) was about 547 µg/mL and 481 µg/mL for HepG2. The pasteurization process (65 °C/30 min) did not affect the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the optimized tea formulation. The sensory test indicated an acceptability index of 78%, showing that the analytical approach adopted was feasible to develop a phenolic-rich beverage. KEYWORDS: Antimicrobials; Cell viability; Desirability function; IC(50); Phenolic compounds; Reactive oxygen species; Response surface methodology PMID: 29548463 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.02.021