Guarana (
Paullinia cupana var.
sorbilis) is a plant native to the central Amazon basin. Roasted seed extracts have been used as medicinal beverages since pre-Colombian
times, due to their reputation as stimulants, aphrodisiacs, tonics, as well as protectors of the gastrointestinal tract. Guarana
plants are commercially cultivated exclusively in Brazil to supply the national carbonated soft-drink industry and natural
product stores around the world. In this report, we describe and discuss the annotation of 15,387 ESTs from guarana seeded-fruits,
highlighting sequences from the flavonoid and purine alkaloid pathways, and those related to biotic stress avoidance. This
is the largest set of sequences registered for the Sapindaceae family.
Keywords Guarana - Oxidative stress - Caffeine - Flavonoids - Disease resistance
Communicated by H. Judelson.