Fractionation of Aluminum in Commercial Green and Roasted Yerba Mate Samples (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) and in Their Infusions

Abstract

Different trademarks of green mate and mate tea ( Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) were employed in this work, the aim of which was to compare the fractionation of Al from green mate and mate tea (roasted mate) and from their infusions. Using the flame atomic absorption spectrometry technique, contents determined for Al leached to green mate and mate tea infusions varied from 12.8 to 18.1% and from 5.9 to 10.6%, respectively. The concentrations of phenolics in infusions were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the presence of melanoidins was also evaluated. The results showed that phenolic compounds are the major contributors to the leached Al in green mate infusions, but melanoidins also contribute in the case of infusions prepared from the mate tea. By employing a chelating resin batch procedure, it was observed that Al was predominantly in relatively inert forms, mainly in the case of mate tea infusions (50-70%).