Inflammatory pathways involved in adipose tissue hypertrophy and the effect of Acai (Euterpe oleracea Martius) on the modulation of this process: a review

Abstract

Adipose tissue plays an important role in chronic inflammation and the presence of bioactive compounds in food has been widely discussed as a means of prevention and treatment of various pathological conditions. The aim of this review is to promote an overview and elucidate pathways involved in the chronic inflammatory process triggered by adipose tissue hypertrophy and to discuss data related to the use of Acai in the modulation of inflammation. Initially, a narrative review was carried out on metabolic and molecular pathways involved in the process of subclinical chronic inflammation (NF-κB, AP-1, cross-talk between macrophages and adipocytes, increased LPS and Nrf2 pathway). Then, an integrative review was carried out on the effect of Acai in processes of chronic subclinical inflammation in humans. The database consulted was PubMed, in which the name of the fruit was crossed with the descriptors "inflammation" and "chronic diseases", prioritizing in vivo and in vitro studies related to the human species, carried out in the last ten years. It was observed that the immunomodulatory effects of Acai are increasingly clear, however, are not enough to classify the fruit as a tool in the treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases. To make possible more comprehensive inferences, it is necessary that future studies include assessment of the bioavailability of the bioactive compounds present, in addition to being performed using more suitable methods, with humans, containing sample size calculation, control group and placebo.

Nutraceutical potential of Amazonian oilseeds in modulating the immune system against COVID-19 – A narrative review

“…They suggested that regular açaí intake can positively influence endogenous antioxidant processes, thereby protecting cells from oxidative damage. Moreover, açaí consumption can affect lipid metabolism, displaying beneficial effects on LDL-c and HDL-c control ( Aliaño-González et al, 2020 , Liz et al, 2020 , Machado et al, 2019 , Magalhães et al, 2020 , Silva et al, 2019 , Silva et al, 2020 , Souza et al, 2020 ). Furthermore, when studying the biological properties of the açaí oil, several researchers found a powerful in vitro antioxidant activity from it as well as a great content of phenolic compounds non-anthocyanins, which could be potentialized when encapsulated into micro- or nanoparticles to a controlled release in specific targets ( Pacheco-Palencia et al, 2008 , Rufino et al, 2011 , Teixeira-Costa et al, 2020 ).…”