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. 2023 Jul 19;15(14):3189.
doi: 10.3390/nu15143189.

What We Know about Euterpe Genus and Neuroprotection: A Scoping Review

Ilano Oliveira Da Silva  1 , Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez  2 , Marcus Augusto-Oliveira  2 , Gabriela de Paula Arrifano  2 , Natália Raphaela Ramos-Nunes  1 , Elielton Barreto Gomes  1 , Felipe Rodolfo Pereira da Silva  1 , Aline Andrade de Sousa  1 , Alessandro Luiz Araújo Bentes Leal  1 , Helane Conceição Damasceno  1 , Ana Carolina Alves de Oliveira  1 , José Rogério Souza-Monteiro  1
Affiliations

What We Know about Euterpe Genus and Neuroprotection: A Scoping Review

Ilano Oliveira Da Silva et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The Euterpe genus (mainly Euterpe oleracea Martius, Euterpe precatoria Martius, and Euterpe edulis Martius) has recently gained commercial and scientific notoriety due to the high nutritional value of its fruits, which are rich in polyphenols (phenolic acids and anthocyanins) and have potent antioxidant activity. These characteristics have contributed to the increased number of neuropharmacological evaluations of the three species over the last 10 years, especially açaí of the species Euterpe oleracea Martius. The fruits of the three species exert neuroprotective effects through the modulation of inflammatory and oxidative pathways and other mechanisms, including the inhibition of the mTOR pathway and protection of the blood-brain barrier, all of them intimately involved in several neuropathologies. Thus, a better understanding of the neuropharmacological properties of these three species may open new paths for the development of therapeutic tools aimed at preventing and treating a variety of neurological conditions.

Keywords: Amazon; CNS; Euterpe; Euterpe edulis; Euterpe oleracea; Euterpe precatoria; açaí; brain; juçara; neuroprotection.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the search strategy performed in this scoping review.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Number of articles per year analyzing the effects of each species of the Euterpe genus.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Number of in vivo and in vitro studies according to Euterpe species.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Number of studies and cell types used in in vitro studies.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Euterpe oleracea Mart.—molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection. Abbreviations: NF-κB: nuclear factor κB; iNOS: inducible nitric oxide synthase; COX-2: cyclooxygenase-2; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-1β: interleukin-1β; IL-6: interleukin-6; IL-18: interleukin-18; p38-MAPK: p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase; NLRP3: nod-like receptor pyrin containing 3; CK: creatine kinase; TERT: telomerase reverse transcriptase; ARE: Antioxidant Response Element; HO-1: heme oxygenase-1; Nrf2: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; NO: Nitric oxide; CAT: catalase; SOD: superoxide dismutase; GST: glutathione S-transferase; GPx: glutathione peroxidase; GSH: reduced glutathione; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Euterpe precatoria Mart.—molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection. Abbreviations: TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; NF-κB: nuclear factor κB; polyQ: polyglutamine; mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin; NOX2: NADPH-oxidoreductase-2; Nrf2: NF-E2-related factor 2; GST: glutathione S-transferase; SOD: superoxide dismutase; iNOS: inducible nitric oxide synthase.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Euterpe edulis Mart.—molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection. TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-6: interleukin-6.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Mechanisms of action shared by Euterpe oleracea Mart., Euterpe precatoria Mart. And Euterpe edulis Mart. species.
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