Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract, also known as Guarana extract, is derived from the seeds of the Paullinia cupana plant, a climbing plant native to the Amazon basin and especially common in Brazil. Guarana seeds are rich in caffeine and contain up to twice the caffeine found in coffee beans.

The name defines the structure of the molecule:

• Paullinia Cupana is the scientific name of the guarana plant. 'Paullinia' is the genus and 'cupana' is the species name.
• Seed Extract: indicates that the extract is derived from the seeds of the plant.

The extraction process of Paullinia Cupana seed extract generally involves the following steps:

• Seed Harvesting. The seeds are collected from the Paullinia cupana plant, dried and roasted prior to extraction.
• Extraction. The active compounds are extracted from the seeds using a solvent. Often water or ethanol is used, but other solvents are also used. The solvent is mixed with the seeds and allowed to stand for some time to dissolve the active compounds.
• Filtration and purification. The mixture is filtered to remove the solid parts of the seeds. The liquid extract is purified to remove unwanted compounds and concentrate the active compounds.
• Drying. The liquid extract is dried to obtain a powdered or granulated extract. This can be done by different methods, such as spray-drying or freeze-drying.

What it is for and where

Medical

Guarana has been used by traditional medicine for 2,000 years and already have been attributed, overtime, healthy properties:

• cardiotonic
• tonic
• diuretic
• antidepressants
• feverish

Today it is used in the medical, cosmetic fields and as dietary supplement. Some of the health properties have been confirmed by scientific literature, others remain awaiting confirmation.

The anti-inflammatory property has been validated by numerous studies that agree on the ability of guarana, simvastatin and caffeine to control and prevent infiamations. However, compounds found in guarana have been shown to be more effective than caffeine in countering inflammation (1).

The activity of guarana, the stimulant of the central nervous system, has demonstrated some protective effects in models of cognitive decline diseases such as Parkinson, Alzheimer and Huntington. Although the mechanisms of this action are still unknown, a hydro-alcoholic guarana extract, for its positive effects, has revealed some potential in the fight against age-related diseases associated with misfolding and protein accumulation (2).

Guarana is a common food for Amazonian populations that enjoy longevity and a low incidence of cognitive decline diseases. This study contributes to the knowledge of therapies that could be useful in preventing or treating disorders associated with aging, and also suggests purinergic signaling as a plausible therapeutic target for longevity studies.  (3).

The antioxidant and antibacterial effects observed in guarana extracts are attributed to secondary metabolites present in its composition. Its seeds contain high amounts of methylxanthine, such as caffeine, theobromine and theophylin. Some saponins, polyphenols, and especially tannins are found in good quantities in the fractions of guarana seed extract (4).

Cosmetics

• Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment by restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants.
• Tonic. This product is used to treat the hair when the scalp is clean or after shampooing. It stimulates hair growth, revitalises the scalp for healthy hair growth and reduces hair loss.
  
  Safety
  
  The use of dietary supplements has increased recently and the risk of adverse effects may increase if supplements are used improperly (5).

Guarana studies 

References______________________________________________________________________

(1) Ruchel JB, Bernardes VM, Braun JBS, Manzoni AG, Passos DF, Castilhos LG, Abdalla FH, de Oliveira JS, de Andrade CM, Casali EA, da Cruz IBM, Leal DBR. Lipotoxicity-associated inflammation is prevented by guarana (Paullinia cupana) in a model of hyperlipidemia.    Drug Chem Toxicol. 2019 Jun 14:1-9. doi: 10.1080/01480545.2019.1624767.

(2) Boasquívis PF, Silva GMM, Paiva FA, Cavalcanti RM, Nunez CV, de Paula Oliveira R. Guarana (Paullinia cupana) Extract Protects Caenorhabditis elegans Models for Alzheimer Disease and Huntington Disease through Activation of Antioxidant and Protein Degradation Pathways.    Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018 Jul 4;2018:9241308. doi: 10.1155/2018/9241308.

(3) Arantes LP, Machado ML, Zamberlan DC, da Silveira TL, da Silva TC, da Cruz IBM, Ribeiro EE, Aschner M, Soares FAA. Mechanisms involved in anti-aging effects of guarana (Paullinia cupana) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2018 Jul 2;51(9):e7552. doi: 10.1590/1414-431X20187552.

(4) Carvalho LV, Cordeiro MF, E Lins TU, Sampaio MC, de Mello GS, da Costa VC, Marques LL, Klein T, de Mello JC, Cavalcanti IM, Pitta ID, Galdino da Rocha Pitta M, Rêgo MJ. Evaluation of Antibacterial, Antineoplastic, and Immunomodulatory Activity of Paullinia cupana Seeds Crude Extract and Ethyl-Acetate Fraction. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:1203274. doi: 10.1155/2016/1203274

(5) Biggs JM, Morgan JA, Lardieri AB, Kishk OA, Klein-Schwartz W. Abuse and Misuse of Selected Dietary Supplements Among Adolescents: a Look at Poison Center Data.    J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Nov-Dec;22(6):385-393. doi: 10.5863/1551-6776-22.6.385.