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The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be developed using safe and environmentally friendly routes, can replace potentially toxic chemical methods, and can increase the scale of production. This study aimed to synthesize AgNPs from aqueous extracts of guarana (Paullinia cupana) leaves and flowers, collected in different seasons of the year, as a source of active biomolecules capable of reducing silver ions (Ag+) and promoting the stabilization of colloidal silver (Ag0). The plant aqueous extracts were characterized regarding their metabolic composition by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS), phenolic compound content, and antioxidant potential against free radicals. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV/Vis spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). The results demonstrated that the chemical characterization indicated the presence of secondary metabolites of many classes of compounds in the studied aqueous extracts studied, but alkaloids and flavonoids were predominant, which are widely recognized for their antioxidant capabilities. It was possible to notice subtle changes in the properties of the nanostructures depending on parameters such as seasonality and the part of the plant used, with the AgNPs showing surface plasmon resonance bands between 410 and 420 nm using the leaf extract and between 440 and 460 nm when prepared using the flower extract. Overall, the average hydrodynamic diameters of the AgNPs were similar among the samples (61.98 to 101.6 nm). Polydispersity index remained in the range of 0.2 to 0.4, indicating that colloidal stability did not change with storage time. Zeta potential was above -30 mV after one month of analysis, which is adequate for biological applications. TEM images showed AgNPs with diameters between 40.72 to 48.85 nm and particles of different morphologies. EDX indicated silver content by weight between 24.06 and 28.81%. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited antimicrobial efficacy against various pathogenic microorganisms of clinical and environmental interest, with MIC values between 2.12 and 21.25 µg/mL, which is close to those described for MBC values. Therefore, our results revealed the potential use of a native species of plant from Brazilian biodiversity combined with nanotechnology to produce antimicrobial agents.
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Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have therapeutic potential due to their abilities of differentiation, immunomodulation, and migration to injured tissues, potentiating such effects when cells are activated. Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a tropical plant species found in South America that is known for its antioxidant, stimulant, and cicatricial effects. The guarana extract is composed of many substances and caffeine is the main component. The objective was to evaluate the effects of guarana and caffeine on MSCs. After the initial characterization, MSCs were treated with Paullinia cupana (10, 100, and 1000 μg/mL) or caffeine (0.4, 4, and 40 μg/mL) for 24 h. MSCs treatment with 1000 μg/mL guarana increased cell polarity, viability, cell migration to chemoattractant, antioxidant potential, and liberation of extracellular vesicles (EVs), while it reduced the levels of autophagy. MSCs treated with 100 and 1000 μg/mL guarana or 40 μg/mL caffeine showed a decrease of cell proliferation. No treatment affected the cellular area and cell cycle of MSCs. The study shows in vitro evidence that guarana could be a promising alternative for activating MSCs to promote better cellular products for future clinical therapies.
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Abstract Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a native plant from the Amazon whose seeds contain a high concentration of caffeine. Aqueous extract of guarana is widely used in the world. In this study, the objective was to develop and validate a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography method for the determination of caffeine in extracts and commercial beverages based on guarana. A sensitive, simple, and viable high performance liquid chromatographic method without the need of an analyte extraction procedure was developed and validated according to Brazilian and international requirements. The method presented high performance, fulfilling Brazilian and international requirements, in addition to allowing product compliance tests. Results confirmed high selectivity and linearity (>0.999) between 5 to 135 ug/mL, with no significant matrix effect. Detection and quantification limits were 0.02 µg/mL and 2 µg/mL, respectively. Precision was less than 4 %, and accuracy varied from 99.9-120 %. Applicability of the method was demonstrated by conducting a limited evaluation in products containing caffeine. Commercial extracts showed quite different caffeine levels, while carbonated drinks follow Brazilian and American recommendations. Our results indicate that the developed method can be used to evaluate the quality of the guarana extract and of products containing caffeine
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Sementes/classificação , Cafeína/agonistas , Extratos Vegetais/análise , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão/métodos , Paullinia/efeitos adversos , Plantas/classificação , Bebidas/classificação , Gestão da Qualidade Total/normasRESUMO
Abstract Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) and guarana (Paullinia cupana Kunth) are native species from the Amazon Forest that in folk medicine are used to treat several diseases due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This review brings together findings from different studies on the potential neuroprotective effects of acai and guarana, highlighting the importance of the conservation and sustainable exploitation of the Amazon Forest. A bibliographic survey in the PubMed database retrieved indexed articles written in English that focused on the effects of acai and guarana in in vitro and in vivo models of neurodegenerative diseases. In general, treatment with either acai or guarana decreased neuroinflammation, increased antioxidant responses, ameliorated depression, and protected cells from neurotoxicity mediated by aggregated proteins. The results from these studies suggest that flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids found in both acai and guarana have therapeutic potential not only for neurodegenerative diseases, but also for depressive disorders. In addition, acai and guarana show beneficial effects in slowing down the physiological aging process. However, toxicity and efficacy studies are still needed to guide the formulation of herbal medicines from acai and guarana.
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Ecossistema Amazônico , Paullinia/efeitos adversos , Euterpe/efeitos adversos , Frutas/classificação , Técnicas In Vitro/métodos , Fármacos Neuroprotetores/classificação , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/patologia , Anti-Inflamatórios/farmacologia , Antioxidantes/farmacologiaAssuntos
Paullinia , Envelhecimento , Tecido Adiposo , Suplementos Nutricionais , Antioxidantes , ObesidadeRESUMO
The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on the mortality of older adults and, chronic non- transmissible diseases (CNTDs) patients, likely previous inflammaging condition that is common in these subjects. It is possible that functional foods could attenuate viral infection conditions such as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the causal agent of COVID-19 pandemic. Previous evidence suggested that some fruits consumed by Amazonian Diet from Pre-Colombian times could present relevant proprieties to decrease of COVID-19 complications such as oxidative-cytokine storm. In this narrative review we identified five potential Amazonian fruits: açai berry (Euterpe oleracea), camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa), and guaraná (Paullinia cupana). Data showed that these Amazonian fruits present antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other immunomodulatory activities that could attenuate the impact of inflammaging states that potentially decrease the evolution of COVID-19 complications. The evidence compiled here supports the complementary experimental and clinical studies exploring these fruits as nutritional supplement during COVID-19 infection. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: These fruits, in their natural form, are often limited to their region, or exported to other places in the form of frozen pulp or powder. But there are already some companies producing food supplements in the form of capsules, in the form of oils and even functional foods enriched with these fruits. This practice is common in Brazil and tends to expand to the international market.
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COVID-19 , Euterpe , Humanos , Idoso , Frutas , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2 , AntioxidantesRESUMO
New perspectives arise in the therapeutic practice for cancer, with the objective to not only treat patients, but also improve their quality of life. Guarana, a plant from Brazilian Amazon presents a wide range of pharmacological actions. This study evaluated the effect of Guarana (Paullinia cupana) extract, pure and dry Guarana (PC-18) extract and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) in mice of the Balb/c strain inoculated with the Ehrlich tumor regarding gene expression of inflammatory markers transforming growth factor-ß1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha and oxidative stress (OS) and fatigue, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase 4 and analyzed myelotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. After euthanasia, blood was collected to analyze the complete blood count and measured the levels of liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Hepatoprotective actions of the crude extract of P. cupana and PC-18 extract were noticed. The PC-18 and MgCl2 group showed the best result regarding animal welfare. There were no associations between compounds and gene expression regarding fatigue and OS. PC-18 reduced the tumor and may have an antitumor action. The crude extract of Guarana presented hepatoprotective action.
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Neoplasias , Paullinia , Animais , Fadiga/tratamento farmacológico , Cloreto de Magnésio/uso terapêutico , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Qualidade de VidaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to carry out a systematic review with a meta-analysis to assess evidence about the use of guarana fruit to manage fatigue in cancer patients. METHODOLOGY: The data were extracted from the EMBASE, Scopus, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases, in any language, using the descriptors "neoplasms" and "Paullinia" or "guarana powder" and "placebos" and "fatigue". Searches were also conducted to identify any grey literature. Clinical studies with patients who presented cancer-related fatigue as a primary outcome and who used guarana as a dietary supplement were included. The risk of bias in randomized clinical trials was analyzed according to the Cochrane recommendations. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE system. For studies with the same types of tumors and treatments, meta-analysis was also conducted. RESULTS: A total of 383 studies were found and, of these, seven were included in the review, for a total of 427 cancer patients. The instruments used to analyze fatigue were the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), the Chalder Fatigue Scale, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-FATIGUE), and the Piper Scale. Some studies presented a low risk of bias for all the categories. Meta-analysis was conducted for three studies about breast cancer, which presented sufficient data. The use of guarana did not reduce cancer-related fatigue compared with placebo groups (mean of - 0.02 [95% CI - 1.54, 1.50]; p = 0.98) and the quality of evidence according to GRADE was very low. CONCLUSION: Dietary supplements are used to improve cancer-related fatigue. The results of this review showed that the use of guarana was not superior to the placebo groups, pointing to the need for further studies with better methodological quality.
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Neoplasias da Mama , Paullinia , Suplementos Nutricionais , Fadiga/tratamento farmacológico , Fadiga/etiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Paullinia cupana Kunth., commonly named Guaraná, is a plant from Brazil used as stimulant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of extracts and tannins-rich and methylxanthines-free fraction from guaraná in the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect in vitro. Extract 1 obtained good yields of tannins and methylxanthines and was used to identify a type-A procyanidin trimer by LC-ESI-MS. Fraction 4 was rich in tannins and absent of methylxanthines. The extracts and fraction exhibited strong capacity for scavenging DPPH radical with IC50 between 5.88 and 42.75-µg/mL and inhibited TNF-α release by LPS-activated THP-1 cells when compared with control cells and did not present toxicity to THP-1 cells. The fraction 4, rich in tannins, was highly active, with IC50 5.88 µg/mL by DPPH method and inhibited TNF-α release in 83.50% at 90 µg/mL. These results reinforced potential anti-inflammatory of guaraná and data for new therapeutic approaches.
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Antioxidantes/química , Paullinia/química , Extratos Vegetais/química , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/antagonistas & inibidores , Brasil , Cafeína/química , Linhagem Celular , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Cromatografia de Fase Reversa , Humanos , Lipopolissacarídeos/farmacologia , Monócitos/citologia , Monócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Monócitos/metabolismo , Paullinia/metabolismo , Extratos Vegetais/análise , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Sementes/química , Sementes/metabolismo , Espectrometria de Massas por Ionização por Electrospray , Teobromina/química , Teofilina/química , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/metabolismoRESUMO
Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with chronic inflammatory states. There is evidence to support the design of novel supplements based on guarana (G) (Paullinia cupana), selenium (S), and L-carnitine (C), the use of which, potentially attenuates neuro oxi-inflammatory conditions. Therefore, this study analyzed the cytotoxic and redox effects of GSC on human leucocytes, the inflammatory activation of microglia BV-2 cells, and effect on mortality, oxidative metabolism, and the immune modulation of red earthworms (Eisenia fetida). The GSC concentrations tested in cell culture were in the range of 0.04-2.1 mg/mL. All the GSC-supplemented samples tested, reverted H2O2 oxidation in DNA molecules, suggesting its genoprotective potential. GSC did not induce mortality in leucocyte cultures. On the contrary, a reduction in the levels of oxidation of lipids, proteins, and cell apoptosis was observed, via downregulation of caspase 3 and 8 genes. GSC showed a dual effect on microglia, decreasing the cellular proliferation at lower concentrations (<0.24 mg/mL) and increasing the cellular proliferation mainly at concentrations > 1.0 mg/mL. GSC did not have a toxic effect on red earthworms, but induced an increase in amoebocyte cells and in brown body formation, indicating immune response activation. The results suggest that GSC could be safe for human consumption.