Ready-to-drink matte® tea shows anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties on a cigarette smoke exposure model

Abstract The herbal mate tea ( Ilex paraguariensis ) is a very popular drink in South America, and its consumption has increased worldwide. The toasted herb produces an infusion known as mate tea, which contains many antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols. Cigarette smoke (CS) is rich in oxidant compounds that trigger an acute inflammatory response in the lungs. In a previous study we showed mate tea infusion as a resource against cigarette smoke-induced acute lung inflammation. Our objective here was to investigate whether ready-to-drink matte® tea (RTDMT) could have both a prophylactic and therapeutic effect against the acute inflammation and oxidative stress generated by CS. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to CS and were administered RTDMT ( ad libitum ) before, during and after acute exposure to CS. RTDMT was able to prevent, reduce and reverse the influx of leukocytes into the lungs as well as the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-13, ROS production and oxidative damage (malondialdehyde and carbonyl) compared to the vehicle group exposed to CS. We conclude that RTDMT is an effective antioxidant against acute inflammation and redox imbalance caused by CS in mice, preventing oxidative damage that could otherwise occur.