(P04-057-24) Jucara (Euterpe edulis) Polyphenol Analysis and Cell Viability in Metabolic Syndrome-Mimicking Compounds: First Stage of Investigation

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome poses significant health risks, but can often be prevented through dietary interventions. Juçara fruit, rich in bioactive compounds, derives from a Brazilian palm tree and has been shown to improve inflammation as well as obesity and glycemia-related complications. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the mechanisms by which juçara polyphenol extract improve inflammation and oxidative stress associated with metabolic syndrome.

Methods: Polyphenols were extracted from spray-dried juçara pulp using 80% ethanol in an ultrasonic bath. Solvent was evaporated using a rotary evaporator and the extract was then freeze-dried. The polyphenol profile of jucara extract was determined by LC-MS/MS. Male rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) at passage five were utilized for the cell viability study. A cytotoxicity assay was conducted in a 96-well plate with varying concentrations of jucara polyphenol extract (J100, J200, J300, and J500 mg/mL), cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G; C25 and C50 μM), glucose (G25 and G50 mM), palmitic acid (PA 100 μM) and angiotensin (ANG100 and ANG200 nM). Cells were first treated with jucara or C3G for 1 h. The insults were then added and cell viability determined using TOX8 assay.

Results: The major polyphenols present in juçara extract were cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and C3G (494 ± 121 and 114 ± 28 µg/g of spray-dried juçara pulp, respectively). Other polyphenols detected in juçara extract included caffeic, ferulic and gallic acid as well as rutin, protocatechuic and vanillic acid among others. The cytotoxicity assay results were normalized to control and are reported in fold-change as follows: J100 = 0.89 ± 0.23; J200 = 0.91 ± 0.14, J300 = 0.90 ± 0.23 ; J500 = 0.83 ± 0.22; ANG100 = 0.93 ± 0.16; ANG200 = 0.89 ± 0.15; G25 = 0.98 ± 0.17; G50 = 0.95 ± 0.20; C3G25 = 0.99 ± 0.20;  C3G50 = 0.81 ± 0.13.

Conclusions: Juçara extract is rich in anthocyanins and phenolic acids. Our research findings indicate that the treatments, including 200 mg/mL of juçara extract, 25μM of C3G mg/mL (used as a positive control), and 100 μM of PA + 25 mM of G + 100 nM of ANG II (mimicking metabolic syndrome), did not significantly reduce cell viability. These results are crucial for ongoing studies assessing the protective effects of juçara polyphenol extract against inflammation and oxidative stress induced by PA, G, and ANG II in VSMCs.

Funding Sources: None