Anthocyanin-rich extract of Acai (Euterpe precatoria Mart.) mediates neuroprotective activities in Caenorhabditis elegans

Acai is the given name of the fruits harvested from acaizeiro (Euterpe spp.), a palm tree found in the Amazon floodplain. These fruits are much appreciated due to their high nutritional value, which includes amino acids, fatty acids, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals and polyphenolic compounds, and especially anthocyanins. Fruits rich in anthocyanins, such as blueberries, blackcurrant and bilberries, have been reported to perform neuroprotection. In the current work we demonstrate that the anthocyanin rich acai extract exerts neuroprotective effects, shown by the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The extract improved the chemotaxis response in mutants with neuronal expression of Aβ. It significantly decreased the score of polyQ40::GFP aggregates and decreased protein oxidation levels. All together the results suggest that acai works through molecular mechanisms which strengthen the protein homeostasis and consequently attenuate neurotoxicity.