Polifenóis em chá de erva-mate

The mate is the most consume products of South America, which grows naturally or is cultivated in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. The leaves and buch of this plant are used to p repare a tea-like beverage, the chimarrao o r mate. This tea presents antioxidants characteristics could be considered a functional food. The present work had as objective presents the main characteristics chemical components of the mate a s phenolics compounds or polyphenols, and their properties in b iological systems. The prepared beverage with the mate can present variations in the amount of polyphenols in function of the product type and the preparation form.