Evaluation of the Carotenoids Profile from Annona muricata and Protective Effects Against Copper Accumulation: Wilson’s Disease

Abstract

Wilson’s disease is characterized by the accumulation of copper (Cu) in the body and does not have a curative treatment, having a high rate of patients who abandon the use of treatment drugs. Thus, there is a need to use raw materials from natural and easily accessible sources, which mitigates the consequences of the disease and provides beneficial adjuvant effects. Medicinal plants are part of this context, Annona muricata, better known as soursop, has a widespread use all around the world. In the present study, the carotenoid profile from leaves of the plant was assessed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array and mass spectrometry detectors. In parallel the bioactivity of carotenoid extract was evaluated. The cytotoxicity of the aerial parts of the plant was evaluated through the MTT assay, as well as the IC50 of the treatments with copper in cell lines 293T, BV-2, and RAW 264.7. The anti-inflammatory activity and production of nitric oxide induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were also evaluated. A total of nine carotenoids were separated in Annona muricata, with lutein being the major one 72.87%. A. muricata showed important antioxidant, cytoprotective, and anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro model of Wilson’s disease. Finally, it can be concluded that A. muricata proves to be a potential candidate for future studies for therapeutic alternatives of chronic diseases.