Extrato da pitanga roxa (Eugenia uniflora): fruto brasileiro com potencial neuroprotetor

Abstract

Oxidative stress (OS) is reported as an important factor in early biochemical events in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, before cell death and neurodegenerative progression. Studies suggest that the therapeutic use of fruit extracts can be presented as an alternative therapy with minimized harmful effects or as a neuroprotective therapy. The hydroalcoholic extract of purple pitanga (Eugenia uniflora) (PPE) is a fruit rich in bioactive compounds, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. In this context, Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, being the second most common disease, characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and other areas of the brain that can be correlated with deficits in olfactory, emotional, and memory functions that precede the classic motor symptoms in PD. Thus, the present study revealed in a systematic review that the pitanga tree is used from its leaves to its fruits, with the purple variant being the rarest, showing twice the phenolic content compared to the red variety; the PPE has cyanidin 3-O-glucoside as a major compound, but several pharmacological properties are still unexplored. Our study on acute toxicity of PPE (2,000mg/kg, i.g) and subchronic toxicity of PPE (1,000mg/kg, i.g for 28 days) showed no toxicological signs at the tested doses; pharmacokinetics revealed that its bioactive compounds have low bioavailability, suggesting that the synergistic effect of these compounds makes PPE a pharmacological potential; according to the experiment, PPE can be considered safe for consumption. In this context, a single prior administration of PPE (1000mg/kg, i.g) was shown to be safe and attenuated the OS induced via intranasal (i.n.) administration of the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).