Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) reduces the inflammatory response triggered in vitro by the antipsychotic drug olanzapine in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells.

BACKGROUND Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart), a Brazilian fruit, is considered a "superfruit" due its energetic properties and bioactive compounds. The acai's anti-inflammatory effects could attenuate the undesirable metabolic and pro-inflammatory side effects triggered by some antipsychotic drugs, such as Olanzapine (OLZ). It is possible to infer that acai supplement could potentially minimize the adverse effects of OLZ. Aim. This study tested the potential in vitro effects of acai hydroalcoholic extract on the inflammatory activation of the RAW 264.7 macrophage line triggered by OLZ antipsychotic drugs. METHODS An in vitro protocol was performed using commercial RAW 264.7 macrophages, cultured under sterile conditions at 37°C with 5% CO2 saturation. Initially, a pharmacological curve was defined to determine the concentration of Olanzapine to be used. After this, the cells were supplemented with different concentrations of hydroalcoholic extract of acai, which had been previously chemically characterized. After 24 and 72 hours of treatment, oxidative and inflammatory tests were performed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify whether the hydroalcoholic extract of acai can modulate the oxy-inflammatory response of olanzapine in vitro. RESULTS From a preliminary analysis, the acai extract at 5 mg/mL presented higher activity against inflammation triggered by OLZ (0.03 μg/mL). At this concentration, acai was able to reduce several oxidative and inflammatory markers triggered by OLZ (0.03 μg/mL) exposure, such as nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a, IFN-g) caused by OLZ (0.03 μg/mL). Moreover, acai reverted the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 that had been dropped by OLZ exposure to their pre-exposure treatments. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that acai extract could be useful in attenuating the peripheral inflammatory states triggered by OLZ. Additional pre-clinical and clinical investigations could be useful in testing therapeutic acai extract supplements.