Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Ilex Vomitoria Ait. (Yaupon): A Native North American Source of a Caffeinated and Antioxidant-Rich Tea

  • Published:
Economic Botany Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ilex Vomitoria Ait. (Yaupon): A Native North American Source of a Caffeinated and Antioxidant-Rich Tea. Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria Ait.) is a caffeine-containing shrub native to the southeastern United States where its leaves and twigs were traditionally used to prepare a stimulating and healthful beverage by Amerindians and more recent colonists. For a variety of mostly socioeconomic and cultural reasons, widespread consumption of yaupon tea ceased by the late 19th century, but the species is widely used in ornamental horticulture. Given the environmental damage associated with other caffeine crops, we believe that disuse of this species is unfortunate, and we report on traits that consumers may consider valuable. We found that total foliar biomass, caffeine, and antioxidant production all increased with nitrogen fertilization in one common ornamental yaupon cultivar, ‘Nana.’ Increasing light availability was associated with increased antioxidant activity but not with the decreased caffeine production predicted by the carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis for secondary metabolite production. We also found the highest caffeine concentrations in another yaupon cultivar, ‘Pendula,’ but suggest that the wide range of chemical variation offered by wild-type yaupon populations renders them more suitable as sources for the development of high caffeine-producing varieties. The results of this study suggest that yaupon is a viable caffeine alternative for North Americans living within its range on the southeastern coastal plain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • Ames, B. N., M. K. Shigenaga., and T. M. Hagen. 1993. Oxidants, Antioxidants, and the Degenerative Diseases of Aging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 90:7915–7922.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bastos, D. H. M., E. Y. Ishimoto, M. O. M. Marques, A. F. Ferri, and E. A. F. S. Torres. 2006. Essential Oil and Antioxidant Activity of Green Mate and Mate Tea (Ilex paraguariensis) Infusions. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 19:538–543.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bracesco, N., M. Dell, A. Rocha, S. Behtash, T. Menini, A. Gugliucci, and E. Nunes. 2003. Antioxidant Activity of a Botanical Extract Preparation of Ilex paraguariensis: Prevention of DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Human Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 9:379–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, J. P., F. S. Chapin, and D. R. Klein. 1983. Carbon/Nutrient Balance of Boreal Plants in Relation to Vertebrate Herbivory. Oikos 40:357–368.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carini, M., R. Maffei Facino, G. Aldini, M. Calloni, and L. Colombo. 1998. Characterization of Phenolic Antioxidants from Mate (Ilex paraguayensis) by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 12:1813–1819.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chandra, S. and E. Gonzalez de Mejia. 2004. Polyphenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Capacity, Quinone Reductase Activity of an Aqueous Extract of Ardisia compressa in Comparison to Maté (Ilex paraguariensis) and Green (Camellia sinensis) Teas. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 52:3583–3589.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietsch, T. V., S. M. Philpott, R. A. Rice, R. Greenberg, and P. Bichier P. 2004. Conservation Policy in Coffee Landscapes. Science 303:625.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, A. L. and B. C. Bennett. 2005. Diversity of Methylxanthine Content in Ilex cassine L. and Ilex vomitoria Ait: Assessing Sources of the North American Stimulant Cassina. Economic Botany 59:275–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fairbanks, C. H. 1979. The Function of Black Drink among the Creeks. Pages 120–149 in Charles M. Hudson, ed., Black Drink: A Native American Tea. University of Georgia Press, Athens.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAOSTAT Online Database. 2007. http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/default.aspx#ancor (30 April 2007).

  • Fredholm, B. B. 1984. Gastrointestinal and Metabolic Effects of Methylxanthines. Progress in Clinical and Biological Research 158:331–354.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller, H. M., R. I. Arnold, and M. K. Murphy. 2002. Using Chemistry to Understand Culture: Why Did Native Americans Vomit after Drinking Yaupon Tea? Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry 1:47–51.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, R. M. 1986. Caffeine: The Most Popular Stimulant. Chelsea House Publishers, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, H. N. 1998. Maté. Pages 193–197 in Gene A. Spiller, ed., Caffeine. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hale, E. M. 1891. Ilex cassine: The Aboriginal North American Tea. USDA Division of Botany 14:1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, C. M. 1979. Introduction. Pages 1–9 in Charles M. Hudson, ed., Black Drink: A Native American Tea. University of Georgia Press, Athens.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1995. “Black Drink” and the Indians of the Southeastern United States. Pages 15–21 in James M. Affolter and M. Henry, eds., People and Plants: Cultural and Historical Connections. State Botanical Gardens of Georgia, Athens.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamieson, R. W. 2001. The Essence of Commodification: Caffeine Dependencies in the Early Modern World. Journal of Social History 35:269–294.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mazzafera, P. 1994. Caffeine, Theobromine, and Theophylline Distribution in Ilex paraguariensis. Revista Braseleira de Fisiologia Vegetal 6:149–151.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merrill, W. L. 1979. The Beloved Tree. Pages 40–82 in Charles M. Hudson., ed., Black Drink: A Native American Tea. University of Georgia Press, Athens.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, T. G. and M. F. Kinnaird. 2003. Caffeine and Conservation. Science 300:587.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2004. Response to: Conservation Policy in Coffee Landscapes. Science 303:625–626.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ou, B., M. Hampsch-Woodill, and R. L. Prior. 2001. Development and Validation of an Improved Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Assay using Fluorescein as the Fluorescent Probe. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 49:4619–4626.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palumbo, M. J., F. E. Putz, and S. T. Talcott. 2007. Nitrogen Fertilizer and Gender Effects on the Secondary Metabolism of Yaupon Holly, a Caffeine-Containing North American Holly. Oecologia 151:1–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perfecto I. and I. Armbrecht. 2003. The Coffee Agroecosystem in the Neotropics: Combining Ecological and Economic Goals. Pages 159–194 in John H. Vandermeer, ed., Tropical Agroecosystems. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Power, F. B. and V. K. Chestnut. 1919. Ilex vomitoria as a Native Source of Caffeine. Journal of the American Chemical Society 41:1307–1312.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reginatto, F. H., M. L. Athayde, G. Gosmann, and E. P. Schenkel. 1999. Methylxanthine Accumulation in Ilex Species—Caffeine and Theobromine in Erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and Other Ilex Species. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 10:443–446.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schinella, G. R., G. Troiani, V. Dávila, P. M. de Buschiazzo, and H. A. Tournier. 2000. Antioxidant Effects of an Aqueous Extract of Ilex paraguariensis. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 269:357–360.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiller, M. A. 1984. The Methylxanthine Beverages and Foods: Chemistry, Consumption, and Health Effects. Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, A. J., W. Mullen, and A. Crozier. 2005. On-line High Performance Liquid Chromatography Analysis of the Antioxidant Activity of Phenolic Compounds in Green and Black Tea. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 49:52–60.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sturtevant, W. C. 1979. Black Drink and Other Caffeine-Containing Beverages among Non-Indians. Pages 150–165 in Charles M. Hudson, ed., Black Drink: A Native American Tea. University of Georgia Press, Athens.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talcott, S. T., L. R. Howard, and C. H. Brenes. 2000. Antioxidant Changes and Sensory Properties of Carrot Puree Processed with and without Periderm Tissue. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 48:1315–1321.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Terao, J., M. Piskula, and Q. Yao. 1994. Protective Effect of Epicatechin, Epicatechin Gallate, and Quercetin on Lipid Peroxidation in Phospholipids Bilayers. Archives in Biochemistry and Biophysics 308:278–284.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg, B. A. and B. K. Bealer. 2001. The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World’s Most Popular Drug. Routledge Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, Jr J. L. 1986. Creeks and Seminoles. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yokozawa, T., E. Dong, T. Nakagawa, H. Kashiwagi, H. Nakagawa, S. Takeuchi, and H. Y. Chung. 1998. In Vitro and in Vivo Studies on the Radical-Scavenging Activity of Tea. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 46:2143–2150.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young, I. S. and J. V. Woodside. 2001. Antioxidants in Health and Disease. Journal of Clinical Pathology 54:176–186.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Isabel Meister for help in the field and Michelle Mack and Rick Stepp for useful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. We also thank Paulo Brando for help with the statistics and Youngmok Kim and Jorgé Cardona for assistance with the second round of caffeine assays. This study was funded in part by a grant from the Robert B. Ragland Environmental Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Matthew J. Palumbo & Francis E. Putz

  2. Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Stephen T. Talcott

Authors
  1. Matthew J. Palumbo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephen T. Talcott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  3. Francis E. Putz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew J. Palumbo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Palumbo, M.J., Talcott, S.T. & Putz, F.E. Ilex Vomitoria Ait. (Yaupon): A Native North American Source of a Caffeinated and Antioxidant-Rich Tea. Econ Bot 63, 130–137 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-009-9078-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-009-9078-3

Key Words