Effects of morning consumption of coffee, green tea, and yerba mate on saliva, plasma, and urine metabolomes

• Grant number: 24/14412-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Eric de Castro Tobaruela
• Grantee: Luana Oliveira Creado
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The ingestion of bioactive compounds has been associated with different health benefits. These compounds are present in a variety of foods, including coffee (Coffea arabica), green tea (Camellia sinensis) and yerba-mate (Ilex paraguariensis), which are the major contributors to polyphenol intake in Brazil. Beyond the polyphenols, those foods are important sources of alkaloids, especially caffeine and theobromine. To exert the benefits associated with their intake, these compounds must be digested, metabolized, absorbed, and available to interact with molecular targets in different organs. In this context, the most recent studies that aim to understand these processes involve conducting clinical trials and using biological material in omics analyses. This study aims to comparatively evaluate the effects of morning consumption of coffee, green tea, and yerba mate on the metabolomes of saliva, plasma, and urine. For this purpose, healthy participants will consume each of the three beverages, in the preparations and portions most consumed by the Brazilian population, and samples of blood, saliva, and urine will be collected over 24 hours. These samples will be characterized for their global (untargeted) metabolomic profile by GC-MS. At the end of the project, it is expected to deepen the understanding of how the consumption of coffee, green tea, and yerba mate can affect the metabolic profile of Brazilians. These beverages are consumed daily and contribute the most to the Brazilian population's intake of bioactive compounds.