Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Common Names —
The various
Cyclopia
species are collectively called “honeybush tea,” but
the individual species are known by a variety of names, which include the following:
•
Cyclopia intermedia
, known as “mountain tea,” found between Port Elizabeth and the edge of
the Langkloof
•
Cyclopia subternata
, known as “marshland tea” or “valley tea”
•
Cyclopia genistoides
, known as “coastal tea,” found mostly in the western Cape near Yserfontein
and Darling and also thriving in the South Cape if cultivated
•
Cyclopia sessiliflora,
, known as “Heidelberg-tee,” named after the town Heidelberg in South Africa,
where it grows in the local mountain range
African Names —
Bergtea (
C. intermedia
), vleitee (
C. subternata
), Kustee (
C. genistoides
)
Description —
The genus
Cyclopia
includes over 20 species of shrubs, endemic to the south-
west and southeast of South Africa and mainly associated with the fynbos plant formation. They are
collectively called honeybush tea, and their leaves are commonly used to make tisanes or “herbal
teas.” It has many similarities with rooibos. Honeybush is so named because the flowers smell of
honey. The taste of honeybush tea is similar to that of rooibos but a little sweeter. Both are devoid
of caffeine and much more fragrant than any true tea prepared from
Camellia
species or even other
tisanes. In some rural districts, it used to be common practice to keep a kettle of honeybush tea
infusing on the stove ready for drinking while scenting the whole house—unlike tea prepared from
Camellia sinensis
, the product does not rapidly spoil as it simmers.
Most
Cyclopia
species have resisted attempts at domestication or cultivation and must be har-
vested in the wild, but a few can be cultivated. The major problem has been poor knowledge of the
ecology of fynbos. It is not always easy to discover what the seeds need to enable them to germinate;
some kinds bear elaiosomes and might be dependent on the services of particular ants or birds.
C.
intermedia
is one of the teas that is harvested in the Kouga mountains, where it grows naturally.
Mountain tea regenerates within 3 years after harvesting or devastation by fire; consequently, less
than one-third of the mountain yield is available for harvesting each year by rotation. Mountain tea
and valley tea flower in September/October, whereas coastal tea flowers in May/June.
Constituents —
Honeybush does not contain caffeine and is low in tannin (0.45%) but rich in
minerals. Some of the active compounds found in honeybush include isoflavones, flavones, flavo-
nols, cinnamic acids, coumestans, xanthonoids, mangiferin, and isomangiferin.
Pharmacological Studies —
The antioxidant activity and antimutagenic activity of the aque-
ous extracts of both the fermented and unfermented honeybush tea have been established by several
studies.
489
In comparative studies on the antioxidant activities of
Cyclopia intermedia
,
Aspalathus
linearis
(rooibos), and
Hibiscus sabdarifa
(zobo), it was found that the anti-free-radical potential
(removal of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions) of honeybush extract was lower than in water
infusions of rooibos, which was probably due to the lower concentration of polyphenols in the hon-
eybush tea, but higher than the antioxidant activity of
H. sabdariffa
.
490
It has been shown that the
degree of antimutagenic activity of honeybush varies according to the type of mutagen tested. For
example, extracts demonstrated stronger protective activity against mutagens that require metabolic
activation, such as 2-AAF and AFB1. Significant differences were also observed in antimutagenic
activity among various honeybush species and between extracts from nonfermented and oxidized
material. Research showed that nonfermented material has a higher antioxidant and antimutagenic
potential, both
in vitro
and
in vivo
. Depending on the type of mutagen, research model, and honey-
bush species and the type of material used, extracts from
Cyclopia
plants demonstrated antimuta-
genic activities comparable with extracts from green, black, and rooibos teas.
65
The phytoestrogenic activity of extracts of honeybush has only been demonstrated
in vitro
.
Their antimicrobial activity has also not been well established.
491
The chemical constituents
found in honeybush tea have been linked to the activities of the extracts. Although not backed by
