Effect of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Açaí) Seed Bioproducts on Trypanosoma cruzi - Research Article

Sep 30, 2026

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Chagas disease persists as a major public health challenge because current therapies show limited effectiveness and notable side effects, especially in chronic infection. This study analyzes hydroalcoholic extracts and solvent fractions from açaí (Euterpe oleracea) seeds, characterizing them by ESI/MS and HPLC–MS/MS and testing cytotoxicity and antiparasitic activity across developmental stages of Trypanosoma cruzi (Y strain). Phenolic constituents, particularly catechins and procyanidins, dominate key extracts. Low toxicity was observed in murine macrophages, while significant inhibition occurred against bloodstream trypomastigotes, culture-derived trypomastigotes, and intracellular amastigotes. The hydroalcoholic extract showed the highest selectivity and triggered parasite death via late apoptosis-like and necrosis pathways, supporting further development for Chagas therapeutic strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

1. Introduction

Trypanosoma cruzi and Chagas disease overview

Abstract

Article Effect of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Açaí) Seed Bioproducts on Trypanosoma cruzi Henrique Previtalli-Silva 1,2, Daiana de Jesus Hardoim 1,2, Raphael de Lucena Banaggia 1, Carla J. Moragas-Tellis 3, Paulo Victor Ramos de Souza 3, Maria Dutra Behrens 3, Thiago de Souza Dias Silva 4, Kátia da Silva Calabrese 1, *,† and Flávia de Oliveira Cardoso 1, *,† Academic Editor: Charles D. Rice Received: 28 November 2025 Revised: 22 December 2025 Accepted: 31 December 2025 Published: 2 January 2026 Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Laboratory of Protozoology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil, 4.365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil; [henriqueprevitalli89@gmail.com](henriqueprevitalli89@gmail.com) (H.P.-S.); [hardoim@ioc.fiocruz.br](hardoim@ioc.fiocruz.br) (D.d.J.H.); [raphaelbanaggia@gmail.com](raphaelbanaggia@gmail.com) (R.d.L.B.) 2 Postgraduate Program in Tropical Medicine, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil, 4.365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil 3 Laboratory of Natural Products for Public Health, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute (Farmanguinhos), FIOCRUZ, R. Sizenando Nabuco, 100, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil; carla.tellis@fiocruz.br (C.J.M.-T.); paulo.ramos@fiocruz.br (P.V.R.d.S.); maria.behrens@fiocruz.br (M.D.B.) 4 Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Brazil; [thiago.diassilva87@gmail.com](thiago.diassilva87@gmail.com) * Correspondence: calabrese@ioc.fiocruz.br (K.d.S.C.); flaviaoc@ioc.fiocruz.br (F.d.O.C.)† These authors contributed equally to this work. Simple Summary Chagas disease is a serious infection caused by a microscopic parasite transmitted by insects and current treatments are often ineffective and cause many side effects, especially for people who are already in the long-term stage of the disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover safer and more effective substances. In this study, we investigated natural compounds found in the seeds of the açaí fruit, a widely consumed product in Brazil whose seeds are usually discarded. These seeds contain molecules with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may help reduce infection-related damage. We tested different extracts from the seeds on several stages of the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The compounds showed a strong ability to reduce the parasite population while remaining harmless to healthy immune cells. We also discovered that these compounds could trigger a process that leads the parasite to die in a controlled way. These findings indicate that açaí seeds, an abundant and low-cost resource, may be a promising source of new treatmentsand could contribute to reducing the impact of Chagas disease on affected communities. Abstract Chagas disease remains a major public health challenge due to the limited effectiveness and considerable side effects of existing treatments, particularly during the chronic stage. Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) seeds have gained increasing attention as a source of bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic applications. In this study, hydroalcoholic extractsand solvent fractions obtained from açaí seeds were chemically characterized by ESI/MSand HPLC–MS/MS and evaluated for their cytotoxicity and antiparasitic activity against different developmental stages of Trypanosoma cruzi (Y strain) . Chemical profiling revealed a predominance of phenolic compounds, particularly catechins and procyanidins, which were identified as major constituents of the hydroalcoholic extract and the ethyl acetate fraction. Cytotoxicity assays performed on murine peritoneal macrophages demonstrated low toxicity, with CC 50 values exceeding 500 µg/mL for most samples, indicating a f

FAQs

Why are new treatments for Chagas disease needed?

Existing therapies have limited effectiveness and can cause considerable side effects, particularly in the chronic stage of infection.

Which açaí seed extract fractions were characterized and tested?

Hydroalcoholic extracts and solvent fractions from açaí (Euterpe oleracea) seeds were chemically profiled and evaluated for cytotoxicity and antiparasitic activity.

What effects did the extracts show against different life stages of Trypanosoma cruzi?

Weak activity was observed against epimastigote forms, while significant inhibitory effects were detected against bloodstream trypomastigotes, culture-derived trypomastigotes, and intracellular amastigotes.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Oliver