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Cashew apple is a tropical pseudofruit consumed as juice due to its excellent nutritional and sensory properties. In spite of being well known for its important antioxidant properties, the cashew apple has not been thoroughly investigated for its therapeutic potential. Thereby, this study evaluated the antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing activities of cashew apple juice. Juices from ripe and immature cashew apples were analyzed for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. Those were evaluated in murine models of xylene-induced ear edema and wound excision. Swiss mice were treated with cashew juice by gavage. Edema thickness was measured and skin lesions were analyzed by planimetry and histology. Both antioxidant content and total antioxidant activity were higher in ripe cashew apple juice (RCAJ) than in unripe cashew apple juice (UNCAJ). The UNCAJ presented the main anti-inflammatory activity by a significant inhibition of ear edema (66.5%) when compared to RCAJ (10%). Moreover, UNCAJ also showed the best result for wound contraction (86.31%) compared to RCAJ (67.54%). Despite of higher antioxidant capacity, RCAJ did not promote better anti-inflammatory, and healing responses, which may be explained by the fact that treatment increased antioxidants level leading to a redox ''imbalance'' turning down the inflammatory response modulation exerted by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results suggest that UNCAJ presents a greater therapeutic activity due to a synergistic effect of its phytochemical components, which improve the immunological mechanisms as well as an optimal balance between ROS and antioxidants leading to a better wound healing process.

Background and objectives: Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) is a tropical fruit known for its nutritional and functional properties due to its great contents vitamin C, carotenoids and anthocyanins. The antioxidant potential from plants extracts associated to hepatoprotective activity has been widely studied. However, the effect of antioxidants in natural fruit juice has not been fully searched. The aim of this work was to investigate the antioxidant properties of acerola juice and its hepatoprotective potential against acute ethanol-induced stress. Materials and methods: Ripe acerola were collected, processed into juice and initially analyzed to antioxidant properties in vitro. Afterwards, in vivo hepatoprotective activity was evaluated in mice. The animals received the juice by gavage as pretreatment for 15 consecutive days and then, were submitted to ethanol-induced stress in single dose (5 g/kg). The activities of serum enzymes as well as lipid peroxidation degree were evaluated. The activities of serum marker enzymes for liver damage as well as lipid peroxidation degree were evaluated. Results: Acerola juice presents great vitamin C (1799.5 mg/100 g FW) and total phenolic (188.4 mg GAE/ 100 g FW), anthocyanins (9.2 mg/100 g FW), flavonols (7.8 mg/100 g FW) contents and high activity of superoxide dismutase (1053.6 UA/g DM) with a total antioxidant activity of 137.5 mmol Trolox/g FW. The juice treatment inhibited lipid peroxidation and reduced the activities of aminotransferases (p 0.05), in mice liver. Conclusion: These results indicate that acerola juice is able to prevent the hepatic damage induced by ethanol, probably as a result of an enhancement of the antioxidant status in the animals.

RESUMO -A resposta imunológica é um processo complexo que envolve a interação e sinalização de diferentes tipos celulares e moleculares, conhecidos como biomarcadores, os quais atuam de modo coordenado para promover a defesa do organismo. Essa resposta inicia-se com a instalação do processo inflamatório, que culmina com eliminação de agentes microbianos e cicatrização do tecido afetado, podendo evoluir para uma resposta mais específica. Muitos mediadores produzidos durante essas reações, sobretudo aqueles de natureza lipídica e peptídica, podem ser originados da imunomodulação promovida por ácidos graxos insaturados fornecidos pela dieta ou sintetizados endogenamente. Ácidos graxos insaturados são constituintes das membranas celulares e reguladores da expressão gênica, atuando nas vias de sinalização, transdução de sinais e proliferação celular e gerando produtos que regulam os mecanismos da imunidade humoral e celular. Esses lipídios apresentam várias propriedades biológicas, incluindo importantes efeitos imunomoduladores sobre a inflamação e a cicatrização. Ácidos graxos insaturados regulam a ativação de diversas células envolvidas nesses processos, tais como macrófagos, neutrófilos, linfócitos, queratinócitos e células dendríticas, bem como a secreção de seus produtos, exercem efeitos sobre enzimas e fatores de transcrição gênica, estimulando ou inibindo a produção de eicosanóides, como as prostaglandinas e leucotrienos, citocinas, moléculas de adesão, fatores de crescimento e outras moléculas específicas envolvidas nas diferentes fases do reparo tecidual, além de modular o estresse oxidativo. Neste contexto, esse artigo tem como objetivo revisar o papel dos principais biomarcadores celulares e moleculares envolvidos na resposta imune-inflamatória modulada por ácidos graxos insaturados.Palavras-Chave: Ômega-3, ômega-6, ômega-9, inflamação, cicatrização, imunomodulação.ABSTRACT -Immune response is a complex process that involves interaction and signaling of different cell and molecular types, known as biomarkers, which are organized to promote the defense of organism. This response begins with installation of the inflammatory process and culminates with elimination of the microbial agents, damage tissue and repair. The inflammatory response can progress to a more specific process. Many mediators are produced during inflammation, especially lipid and peptide mediators. These substances can be generated from immunomodulation promoted by unsaturated fatty acids provided by dietary or endogenously synthesized. Unsaturated fatty acids are constituents of cell membranes and regulators of gene expression and act on signaling pathways, signal transduction and cell proliferation, generating products that regulate the mechanisms of humoral and cellular immunity. These lipids have multiple biological properties, including important immunomodulatory effects on inflammation and wound healing. Unsaturated fatty acids regulate the activation of various cells involved in these processes, such as macrophages, neutrophils, lymp...