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Traditional 1:2 Extract of Guarana, Paullinia cupana, in ethanol and purified water.
Other common names: Brazilian cocoa Guaraná paste, guaraná gum, chengrapi, macota.
Where it's found: This plant is a climbing evergreen liana or shrub that is native to Amazon region of South America, especially Venezuela and Brazil (Quattrocchi, 2012; Khan and Abourashed, 2010; Mabberley, 2008).
Therapeutic benefits: stimulant, aphrodisiac, nervine, anti-diarrheal, antipyretic (lower fevers), and astringent
The seeds are used in ceremonial rituals, but they also have various health effects including: tonic, stimulant, aphrodisiac, nervine, anti-diarrheal, antipyretic (lower fevers), and astringent. The seeds are grated into water and used in traditional medicine for the treatment of menstrual problems, neuralgia, and headaches (Quattrocchi, 2012; Khan and Abourashed, 2010).
The seeds of the Guaraná shrub have the highest caffeine content (up to 6% in the seeds) among plants that contain methylxanthine compounds (Schimpl et al.,2014, 2013). The seeds or berries contain three to five times more caffeine than coffee but they also contains other compounds with antioxidant properties, such as epicatechins, catechins, and proanthocyanidins (Van Wyk and Wink, 2014; Khan and Abourashed, 2010).
Schimpl et al (2014) studied the metabolism of caffeine and related stimulant compounds in the guaraná plant. The study also determined the levels of purine alkaloids in the tissues of five guaraná cultivars. The results showed that theobromine was the main alkaloid that accumulated in leaves, stems, inflorescences and pericarps (seed coats) of the berries, while caffeine accumulated in the seeds, with levels reaching from 3.3% to 5.8%. In all tissues analysed, the alkaloid concentration, (theobromine and caffeine), was greater in young or immature tissues. As the plant matured, the levels of the alkaloids decreased.
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