Neuroprotective Effects of Acrocomia aculeata Pulp Oil Microcapsules on Rats Subjected to Chronic Stress.

Acrocomia aculeata fruits are rich in monounsaturated fatty acid, ß-carotene, tocopherol, and other antioxidant compounds. The aim of our study was to investigate and compare the protective effects of A. aculeata pulp oil and microencapsulated pulp oil on brain oxidative damage induced by chronic restraint stress (CRS) in rats (cortex, hippocampus, and striatum). Thirty-six Wistar rats were divided into six treatment groups: C, P, and M groups received 1 µL/g of body weight of distilled water, pulp oil, and pulp oil microcapsules by daily gavage, respectively. The SC, SP, and SM groups received 1 µL/g of body weight of distilled water, pulp oil, and pulp oil microcapsules by daily gavage, respectively, and were then subjected to uninterrupted 6 h of CRS. After 21 days of testing, the rats were euthanized and the brain tissue of the groups was removed for evaluation for oxidative damage markers and antioxidant enzymes. Endpoints of oxidative stress (OS) markers (lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and reduced glutathione [GSH]) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) were evaluated. By imposing chronic stress on rats, pulp oil and microcapsules of pulp oil induced positive antioxidant responses, mainly by increasing the GSH content, increasing the ability of neural tissues to deal with inherent OS, thus protecting against neurodegenerative diseases. The administration of A. aculeata pulp oil and microencapsulated pulp oil made the reversal of the oxidant parameters, which may protect the brain tissue of rats altered by CRS. The Clinical Trial Registration number: n° 1.008/2018 CEUA/UFMS.

Buriti pulp oil did not improve high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders in c57bl/6 mice.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity are growing in many parts of the world, becoming public health problems. It is proposed that foods with functional properties can assist in the treatment of these diseases. Crude buriti pulp oil (BPO) is a food traditionally consumed by residents in the Pantanal, Cerrado and Brazilian Amazon. It is rich in oleic acid, tocopherols and carotenoids, emerging as a potential functional food. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the supplementation of BPO on metabolic disorders caused by a high-fat diet. Four groups of C57BL6 mice were used, a lean group with AIN-93M diet and control oil supplementation, an obese group with a high-fat diet and control oil supplementation, and two obese groups with a high-fat diet and BPO supplementation in the amounts of 50 and 100 mg/kg. BPO worsened the metabolic state caused by the high-fat diet, worsening risk factors associated with MetS, as the abdominal circumference and retroperitoneal fat, serum levels of total cholesterol, uric acid, alanine transaminase, glucose and triglycerides, and renal fat, in addition to changes in glycaemic control and oxidative stress markers. C57BL/6 mice fed with a high-fat diet and supplemented with BPO presented a worsening in metabolic risk factors associated with MetS.