Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) and juçara (Euterpe edulis Mart.) juices improved HDL-c levels and antioxidant defense of healthy adults in a 4-week randomized cross-over study.

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of moderate-term açaí and juçara juice intake on fasting glucose, lipid profile, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy subjects. A randomized cross-over study was performed with 30 healthy adults. The subjects were assigned to drink 200mL/day of açaí or juçara juice for four weeks with a 4-week washout period. Before and after each nutritional intervention, blood samples were obtained to evaluate the outcomes: fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), small, dense LDL-c (sd-LDL-c), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), uric acid, and activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). After four weeks, açaí and juçara juices increased the concentrations of HDL-c by 7.7% and 11.4%, respectively (P<0.05). In addition, açaí juice intake promoted significant increases in TAC (66.7%), CAT (275.1%), GPx (15.3%), and a decrease in OSI (55.7%) compared to baseline (P<0.05 for all). Juçara juice intake significantly increased CAT activity (~15.0%) in relation to baseline. No significant intergroup differences were observed for any outcomes (P>0.05). The results indicated a positive impact of regular consumption of açaí and juçara juices on the HDL-c levels, as well as on the antioxidant enzyme activities, which may contribute to cardiovascular health.