TY - JOUR A2 - Relja, Borna AU - Pereira, Renata Rebeca AU - Abreu, Isabel Cristina Mallosto Emerich de AU - Guerra, Joyce Ferreira da Costa AU - Lage, Nara Nunes AU - Lopes, Juliana Márcia Macedo AU - Silva, Maísa AU - Lima, Wanderson Geraldo de AU - Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio AU - Pedrosa, Maria Lucia PY - 2016 DA - 2016/08/25 TI - Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Upregulates Paraoxonase 1 Gene Expression and Activity with Concomitant Reduction of Hepatic Steatosis in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats SP - 8379105 VL - 2016 AB - Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), a fruit from the Amazon region, has emerged as a promising source of polyphenols. Açai consumption has been increasing owing to ascribed health benefits and antioxidant properties; however, its effects on hepatic injury are limited. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant effect of filtered açai pulp on the expression of paraoxonase (PON) isoforms and PON1 activity in rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The rats were fed a standard AIN-93M (control) diet or a high-fat (HF) diet containing 25% soy oil and 1% cholesterol with or without açai pulp (2 g/day) for 6 weeks. Our results show that açai pulp prevented low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, increased serum and hepatic PON1 activity, and upregulated the expression of PON1 and ApoA-I in the liver. In HF diet-fed rats, treatment with açai pulp attenuated liver damage, reducing fat infiltration and triglyceride (TG) content. In rats receiving açai, increased serum PON1 activity was correlated with a reduction in hepatic steatosis and hepatic injury. These findings suggest the use of açai as a potential therapy for liver injuries, supporting the idea that dietary antioxidants are a promising approach to enhance the defensive systems against oxidative stress. SN - 1942-0900 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8379105 DO - 10.1155/2016/8379105 JF - Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation KW - ER -