Acute consumption of juçara juice (Euterpe edulis) and antioxidant activity in healthy individuals

The nutritional properties of juçara fruit are similar to those of açaí fruit, rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential. This cross-over study evaluated the effects of the acute consumption of juçara juice in eleven healthy volunteers. Blood samples were collected before and 1, 2, and 4 h after juice or water (control) intake to measure the ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), uric acid, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and lipid hydroperoxides (LH). Repeated measures analysis of variance verified that the treatment increased the FRAP (p = 0.02) and the enzymatic activity of GPx (p = 0.02). In addition, there was a significant treatment-time interaction, and a decrease in LH (p = 0.02) was observed over time after the ingestion of juçara juice. Based on these results, further studies should be carried out to evaluate the clinical effects of juçara juice consumption, particularly regarding its antioxidant potential in humans.