Bioaccessibility, absorption and intestinal metabolism studies of the biomarkers ent-polyaltic and ent-hardwickiic acids from Copaifera duckei and Copaifera pubiflora oleoresins

Abstract

The research involving natural products is one of the major sources of new drugs and the understanding of the actions of these products on the human body is of paramount importance in establishing the safety and effectiveness of their use. There are many studies about biological activity of natural products, but there is a lack of studies on the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of natural bioactive substances, which would facilitate the implementation of some phases of preclinical studies. Brazil stands out on the world stage for its rich biodiversity and scientific production involving natural products. Its biomes are repositories of numerous species of great medicinal power, being the oleoresin extracted from trees of the genus Copaifera sp. one of the most consumed in the world. Among the species, Copaifera duckei and Copaifera pubiflora have been distinguished by the fact that their oleoresins have excellent biological activities, with ent-polyalthic and ent-hardwickiic acid being the major components and main markers, respectively, for the mentioned species. This project intends to carry out bioaccessibility studies of both markers by evaluating the influence of the digestive conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract on the bioaccessibility of diterpenes. In addition, studies will be developed to evaluate the intestinal absorption of ent-polyalthic and ent-hardwickiic acids in a Caco-2 cell model and to investigate the possible intestinal metabolism of diterpenes. (AU)