Lab Anim Res.  2012 Mar;28(1):23-29.

Anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet

• Kang YR
• Lee HY
• Kim JH
• Moon DI
• Seo MY
• Park SH
• Choi KH
• Kim CR
• Kim SH
• Oh JH
• Cho SW
• Kim SY
• Kim MG
• Chae SW
• Kim O
• Oh HG

Abstract

Yerba Mate, derived from the leaves of the tree, Ilex paraguariensis, is widely-used as a tea or as an ingredient in formulated foods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Yerba Mate extract on weight loss, obesity-related biochemical parameters, and diabetes in high-fat diet-fed mice. To this end, by using in vivo animal models of dietary-induced obesity, we have made the interesting observations that Yerba Mate has the ability to decrease the differentiation of pre-adipocytes and to reduce the accumulation of lipids in adipocytes, both of which contribute to a lower growth rate of adipose tissue, lower body weight gain, and obesity. Our data from in vivo studies revealed that Yerba Mate treatment affects food intake, resulting in higher energy expenditure, likely as a result of higher basal metabolism in Yerba Mate-treated mice. Furthermore, in vivo effects of Yerba Mate on lipid metabolism included reductions in serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and glucose concentrations in mice that were fed a high fat diet. In conclusion, Yerba Mate can potentially be used to treat obesity and diabetes.

Keyword

Yerba Mate; Ilex paraguariensis; anti-obesity effect; anti-diabetic effect; anti-cholesterol

MeSH Terms

Adipocytes
Adipose Tissue
Animals
Basal Metabolism
Body Weight
Cholesterol
Diet, High-Fat
Eating
Energy Metabolism
Food, Formulated
Glucose
Ilex paraguariensis
Lipid Metabolism
Mice
Models, Animal
Obesity
Tea
Trees
Triglycerides
Weight Loss
Cholesterol
Glucose
Tea
Triglycerides

Figure

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  Figure 1 Effects of Yerba Mate on change of food (A) and water (B) intake in a mouse obesity model induced by a high-fat diet. a, b, c, dValues in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as mean±SE (n=10).

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  Figure 2 Effects of Yerba Mate on changes in body weight (A) and blood glucose (B) in a mouse obesity model induced by a high-fat diet. a, b, c, dValues in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as mean±SE (n=10).

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  Figure 3 Effects of Yerba Mate on organ weight in a mouse obesity induced model by a high-fat diet. a, b, cValues in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as mean±SE (n=10).

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  Figure 4 Effects of Yerba Mate on absolute fat weight in a mouse obesity model induced by a high-fat diet. EPI: Epididymal, RP: Retroperitoneal fat, RN: Peri-renal fat. a, b, c, d, eValues in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as mean±SE (n=10).

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  Figure 5 Effects of Yerba Mate on histological hepatic steatosis in a mouse obesity model induced by a high-fat diet. A: Normal, B: HFD. C: HFD+Mate 0.5, D: HFD+Mate 1.0, E: HFD+Mate 2.0. (400× magnification). Arrow indicates steatosis (n=10).

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  Figure 6 Effects of Yerba Mate on histological adipocyte size in a mouse obesity model induced by a high-fat diet. A: Normal, B: HFD. C: HFD+Mate 0.5, D: HFD+Mate 1.0, E: HFD+Mate 2.0, F: quantitative analysis (400× magnification). a, b, c, dValues in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as mean±SE (n=6).

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  Figure 7 Effects of Yerba Mate on the leptin level in a mouse obesity model induced by a high-fat diet. a, bValues in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as mean±SE (n=9).

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