Abstract
Abstract Acrocomia aculeata, known as macauba, is extensively distributed in the Southeast and Midwest of Brazil. Macauba fruit is used as food; however, its therapeutic properties are still poorly understood. The goal of the study was to investigate the chemical composition of macauba pulp oil (MPO) and anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and antioxidant properties of MPO. The anti-inflammatory and antimutagenic properties were evaluated in Swiss mice treated with MPO per gavage or incorporated in the diet for 10 days. The serum of mice was subjected to lipid peroxidation evaluation and the in vitro MPO antioxidant activity was assessed. The organoleptic profile of MPO showed it was suitable for consumption and this composition showed unsaturated fatty acids with oleic acid the most abundant. The MPO presented anti-inflammatory properties, inducing a decrease in the migration of neutrophil and mononucleate cells to the peritoneal cavity of mice; it also inhibited the formation of micronuclei in mice. Furthermore, MPO presented antioxidant activity and high carotenoid content. Our data support the hypothesis that MPO has anti-inflammatory and antimutagenic properties, and these effects can correlate with fatty acid profile and antioxidant compounds. There is great potential for the application of MPO for nutritional purposes.
Highlights
The benefits of plant oils for human health have long been the focus of investigations, especially in recent decades when they replaced some animal oils in food
A. aculeata fruits are rich in flavonoid antioxidants, β-carotene and tocopherols, and the fatty acid profile in macauba pulp oil (MPO) is composed mostly of monounsaturated, such as oleic acid (Coimbra & Jorge, 2011; Lescano et al, 2015)
The results showed that MPO was able to protect the animals against DNA damage induced by colchicine, since the micronucleus number in erythrocytes from mice treated with MPO was 44% lower when compared with control group (p < 0.05) (Figure 2A)
Summary
The benefits of plant oils for human health have long been the focus of investigations, especially in recent decades when they replaced some animal oils in food Vegetable oils such as olive, palm, soy, corn, sunflower and canola are a common dietary constituent and consumed in high quantities worldwide (Esfahani et al, 2011). A. aculeata fruits are rich in flavonoid antioxidants, β-carotene and tocopherols, and the fatty acid profile in macauba pulp oil (MPO) is composed mostly of monounsaturated, such as oleic acid (Coimbra & Jorge, 2011; Lescano et al, 2015). This profile suggests that the consumption of the oil obtained from the macauba can be healthy. Oil composition may be different according to genetic factors and abiotic factors such as light, temperature, precipitation, nutrition, season and time of collection and harvesting techniques (Singer et al, 2016)
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