• Alencar Kolinski Machado, Ana Cristina Andreazza, da Silva Tatiane Morgana TM Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil., Aline Augusti Boligon, Vanusa do Nascimento, Gustavo Scola, Angela Duong, Francine Carla Cadoná, Euler Esteves Ribeiro, and Ivana Beatrice Mânica da Cruz.
• Postgraduate Program of Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Biogenomics Laboratory, Department of Morphology, Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
• Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016 Jan 1; 2016: 8940850.

AbstractNeuropsychiatric diseases, such as bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ), have a very complex pathophysiology. Several current studies describe an association between psychiatric illness and mitochondrial dysfunction and consequent cellular modifications, including lipid, protein, and DNA damage, caused by cellular oxidative stress. Euterpe oleracea (açaí) is a powerful antioxidant fruit. Açaí is an Amazonian palm fruit primarily found in the lowlands of the Amazonian rainforest, particularly in the floodplains of the Amazon River. Given this proposed association, this study analyzed the potential in vitro neuropharmacological effect of Euterpe oleracea (açaí) extract in the modulation of mitochondrial function and oxidative metabolism. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with rotenone to induce mitochondrial complex I dysfunction and before and after we exposed the cells to açaí extract at 5 μg/mL. Treated and untreated cells were then analyzed by spectrophotometric, fluorescent, immunological, and molecular assays. The results showed that açaí extract can potentially increase protein amount and enzyme activity of mitochondrial complex I, mainly through NDUFS7 and NDUFS8 overexpression. Açaí extract was also able to decrease cell reactive oxygen species levels and lipid peroxidation. We thus suggest açaí as a potential candidate for drug development and a possible alternative BD therapy.

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