Screening in varieties of uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess) to protect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in macrophage cells and selectivity to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme activity

Abstract

Native fruits species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest are still underexploited, as Eugenia piryformis also named "uvaia". However, the fruit is being studied currently for the different quality aspect views as a way of adding value to them. Besides, in recent years, the consumption of the fruit has been much mentioned because of their richness in various compounds, such as vitamins, phenolic and antioxidant, whose value is closely linked to the high nutritional content and improvement in the health, being capable of minimizing the incidence of diseases. Some research has been carried out on the basis of phenolic compounds, present in the pulp of native fruits which may have an inhibitory effect on several markers related to the development of cell inflammation (ciclo-oxigenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandins F2± (PGF2±), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). This internship aims to assess the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and the pulp anti-inflammatory potential of seven varieties of "uvaia", and identify the profile of phenolic compounds by TLC and HPLC/MS. Pulp samples will be lyophilized in Brazil and forwarded to the Plant Bioactives & Bioprocessing Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University, Texas, USA, where they will be evaluated. At the end of the internship abroad, the PhD student will have written and submitted a scientific paper, contributing to visibility and impact of the Brazilian science. The internship abroad will be developed at Texas A&M University, Texas, USA, under the supervision of professor Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, from April to December, 2016. (AU)