Towards therapeutic alternatives for mercury neurotoxicity in the amazon: unraveling the pre-clinical effects of the superfruit açaí (euterpe oleracea, mart.) as juice for human consumption

• Autor(a) principal: Crespo-López, Maria Elena
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Soares, Ericks Sousa, Macchi, Barbarella de Matos, Santos-Sacramento, Leticia, Takeda, Priscila Yuki, Lopes-Araújo, Amanda, Paraense, Ricardo Sousa de Oliveira, Souza-Monteiro, José Rogério, Oliveira, Marcus Augusto de, Luz, Diandra Araújo, Maia, Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz, Rogez, Hervé, Lima, Marcelo de Oliveira, Pereira, João Paulo, Oliveira, Diomar Cavalcante, Burbano, Rommel Rodrigues, Lima, Rafael Rodrigues, Nascimento, José Luiz Martins do, Arrifano, Gabriela de Paula
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Digital do Instituto Evandro Chagas (Patuá)
• Texto Completo: https://patua.iec.gov.br/handle/iec/3976
• topic: Euterpe / metabolismo; Euterpe / efeitos dos fármacos; Ingestão de Alimentos; Sucos de Frutas e Vegetais; Antioxidantes; Sistema Nervoso Central / efeitos dos fármacos; Intoxicação do Sistema Nervoso por Mercúrio; Compostos de Metilmercúrio / toxicidade; Envelhecimento / metabolismo

Methylmercury (MeHg) exposure is a serious problem of public health, especially in the Amazon. Exposure in riverine populations is responsible for neurobehavioral abnormalities. It was hypothesized that consumption of Amazonian fruits could protect by reducing mercury accumulation. This work analyzed the effects of commercial samples of Euterpe oleracea (EO) for human consumption (10 μL/g) against MeHg i.p. exposure (2.5 mg/Kg), using neurobehavioral (open field, rotarod and pole tests), biochemical (lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels), aging-related (telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) mRNA expression) and toxicokinetic (MeHg content) parameters in mice. Both the pole and rotarod tests were the most sensitive tests accompanied by increased lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels in brains. MeHg reduced TERT mRNA about 50% demonstrating a strong pro-aging effect. The EO intake, similar to that of human populations, prevented all alterations, without changing the mercury content, but avoiding neurotoxicity and premature aging of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Contrary to the hypothesis found in the literature on the possible chelating properties of Amazonian fruits consumption, the effect of EO would be essentially pharmacodynamics, and possible mechanisms are discussed. Our data already support the regular consumption of EO as an excellent option for exposed Amazonian populations to have additional protection against MeHg intoxication