EVALUATION OF THE SAFETY PROFILE OF AÇAÍ (Euterpe Oleracea) EXTRACT IN KERATINOCYTES

Resumo

INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis affects approximately 125 million people worldwide. This condition affects the skin and could be related to emotional factors. This disease involves chronic inflammatory activation, related to autoimmune mechanisms, in the dermis which tend to worsen in contexts of psychological impairments. Despite the availability of conventional treatments, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, the side effects associated with these therapies encourage the investigation of new therapeutical alternatives. This is the reason why natural health products with pharmacological properties have been studied, such as açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.). It is already known that açaí has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. However, there are no studies evaluating the effect of açaí extract against skin cells imbalance. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the safety profile of açaí extract in HaCaT cells (human keratinocytes). MATERIALS AND METHODS: in HaCaT cells were exposed to different concentrations of açaí extract (0.001-250 μg/mL) for 24h, 48h and 72h. Then, the cells were evaluated for cell viability and proliferation, nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and extracellular dsDNA release. RESULTS: HaCaT cells exposed to a curve of açaí extract showed safety in vitro profile. After 24 and 48h of treatment it was not observed any cellular impairment caused by the exposure to açaí extract, even under the highest concentration. However, after 72h of exposure, açaí extract caused a significant reduction in the cellular viability index, levels of ROS, NO and release of dsDNA compared to negative control under 10-250 μg/mL. These alterations were intensified under 250 μg/mL. CONCLUSION: The obtained results suggest that the freeze-dried açaí extract has a positive in vitro safety profile in HaCat cells. Prhaps being a great alternative to develop further studies investigating its potential effects agains experimental models of skin diseases such as psoriasis, for example.