Effects of mate herb (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. -Hil.) in behavior and physiology of Wistar rats

Abstract

The mate herb (Ilex paraguariensis) is a plant widely used in Southern Brazil to make “chimarrão”, mate tea and “tereré”. It has several compounds that may influence the human metabolism. To check the physiology and behavior of rats after ingesting the infusion of mate herb, this study examined 2 experimental groups: Control group (ingestion of water only) and Intake Group (infusion of leaves of Ilex paraguariensis). The females were placed to breed and received the extract or not, depending on the group to which they belonged. When detected the pregnancy, the females were assessed for weight; after birth the females and pups were evaluated as to weight, size and Aggressive Maternal behavior, after weaning, the pups at 60 days of age were evaluated in an elevated cross-maze and open field tests, in addition the physiological parameters of cholesterol, glucose and blood triglycerides were measured. The behavioral tests were filmed and analyzed by a specific software that provides latency, frequency and duration of behavior. The accepted level of significance was p<0.05. With the results we can conclude that the ingestion of herb in the form of “chimarrão” can influence animal behavior by increasing the state of alert and exploration in new environments and can also reduce the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides with no effect on the rate glucose. In relation to ovulation, pregnancy and development of offspring the mate herb did not show significant changes between the groups.