title: Guarana: revisiting a highly caffeinated plant from the Amazon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Guarana (Paullinia cupana Kunth var. sorbilis (Mart.) Ducke) has been traditionally consumed by indigenous communities of the Amazon region. It is valued mainly for its stimulant property because of its high content of caffeine, which can be up to 6% in the seeds.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this review is to revisit this typically Brazilian plant, addressing economic considerations, the chemical makeup of the seeds and pharmacological properties so far investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Guarana is primarily produced in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Bahia, and approximately 70% of the production is used by the industry of soft and energy drinks. The other 30% becomes guarana powder for direct consumption in capsules or dilution in water, or it serves as a raw material for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. In addition to its stimulant property, guarana has other therapeutic properties, which have aroused the interest of the scientific community.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review shows that other guarana properties may be explored and how scarce are the studies regarding agronomic, plant pathology, physiology and breeding. So far, caffeine has been the main reason to study guarana and still will lead the researches because the demand for this alkaloid by food and pharmaceutical industry, and a strongly growing market related with beauty products. However, guarana has other components and there is great interest in studies designed to elucidate the effects of guarana's bioactive components and their potential pharmacological applications. Significant part of the guarana production in Brazil still comes from Indians tribes in the Amazon State, and any improvement in this plant, in any aspect, may propitiate a positive economic impact in their lives.
authors: Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, CP9109, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil.
authors: Flávia Camila
authors: FC
authors: Schimpl
authors: José Ferreira
authors: JF
authors: da Silva
authors: José Francisco de Carvalho
authors: JF
authors: Gonçalves
authors: Paulo
authors: P
authors: Mazzafera
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002110:Caffeine / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D032126:Paullinia; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D002110:Caffeine
keywords: Biodiversity; Caffeine; Pharmacology; Sapindaceae; Tannin