Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) juice intake protects against oxidative damage in mice fed by cafeteria diet

• The cafeteria diet increased protein and lipid oxidative damage in the cortex, hippocampus, liver, kidney and heart of animals.
• Acerola juices led to a decrease of the cafeteria diet-induced lipid and protein oxidative damage in tissue animal.
• Unripe acerola juice showed to be more effective than ripe acerola juices against cafeteria diet-induced oxidative damage.

The consumption of a palatable cafeteria diet and low consumption of fruits and vegetables are linked to overweight and obesity. In addition, these pathological conditions are associated with elevated markers of oxidative stress. Acerola fruit contains high levels of vitamin C and rutin and exhibits corresponding antioxidant properties. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of acerola juice in different stages of maturity (unripe, ripe, and industrial) and its main pharmacologically active components vitamin C and rutin, when given as food supplements to cafeteria diet-fed mice. Swiss male mice were fed a standard (STA) or a cafeteria (CAF) diet for 13 weeks. The latter consisted of a variety of supermarket products with high energy content. This CAF diet increased protein and lipid oxidative damage in the cortex, hippocampus, liver, kidney, and heart of CAF animals. Subsequently, CAF mice were given additional diet supplements (acerola juices, vitamin C, or rutin) for one month and the effects on the cortex, hippocampus, liver, kidney, and heart were examined. The results indicated that food supplementation with unripe acerola juice led to a decrease of the diet-induced lipid and protein oxidative damage in the hippocampus, liver, kidney, and heart. For ripe acerola juice, antioxidant beneficial effects were observed in the hippocampus. Industrial acerola juice was effective in the liver. Food supplementation with vitamin C led to decreased oxidative damage in the cortex and liver, whereas rutin supplementation led to decreased oxidative damage in hippocampus and heart samples. These findings suggest that acerola juice helps reduce oxidative stress present under obesogenic conditions.