Acerola: Vitality and strength for a healthier life

The growing search for life quality and longevity has been influencing consumer behavior, focusing on products and services related to health and well-being. Beneficial effects to the body are increasingly correlated with consumption of products of natural origin – sources of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and fibers, among others.

Natural products as fruits and vegetables are important sources of essential nutrients and, due to the increased demand for healthier and safer ingredients, they have become excellent alternatives for replacing synthetic compounds in different applications, such as nutraceuticals, food supplements, ingredients and additives (colorants, antioxidants etc.).

It has long been known that an individual’s nutritional status influences both their susceptibility to infections and their clinical response in the recovery process. And in this light, vitamins stand out as important allies for the proper functioning of the human body’s defense mechanisms.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is found in abundance in several fruits, such as orange, lemon, tomato and acerola. Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin with antioxidant action, a strong reducing, neutralizing agent for reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals. Among the main benefits of vitamin C in vivo is the improvement of the body’s defense functions against infections and allergic reactions.

Learn more in the full article below:

—-

ACEROLA: VITALITY AND STRENGTH FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE

THE KEY ROLE OF VITAMINS IN THE SEARCH FOR HEALTHINESS

The growing search for quality of life and longevity has been influencing consumer behavior, focusing on products and services related to health and well-being. Beneficial effects to the body are increasingly correlated with consumption of products of natural origin – sources of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and fibers, among others.

Natural products as fruits and vegetables are important sources of essential nutrients and, due to the increased demand for healthier and safer ingredients, they have become excellent alternatives for replacing synthetic compounds in different applications, such as nutraceuticals, food supplements, ingredients and additives (colorants, antioxidants etc.).

It has long been known that an individual’s nutritional status influences both their susceptibility to infections and their clinical response in the recovery process. And in this light, vitamins stand out as important allies for the proper functioning of the human body’s defense mechanisms (ASLAM et al., 2017; WALSH, 2019).

VITAMIN C RELEVANCE IN THE IMMUNE RESPONSE

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is found in abundance in several fruits, such as orange, lemon, tomato and acerola (BARTOSZ, 2014). Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin with antioxidant action, a strong reducing, neutralizing agent for reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals (FRANKEL, 2012). Among the main benefits of vitamin C in vivo is the improvement of the body’s defense functions against infections and allergic reactions (IQBAL; KHATTAK, 2004).

The many benefits related to vitamin C strongly confirm its immunomodulatory effects; it has direct action on leukocytes (neutrophils and monocytes), promoting increased migration of these defense cells against pathogens, increased phagocytosis and defense against microorganisms, in addition to favoring the inflammatory response, mitigating tissue damage in the process of necrosis. In vitro studies show that vitamin C promotes proliferation of B and T lymphocytes, resulting in improved antibody generation. It appears to prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections, improving various functions of immune fibroblast cells (CARR; MAGGINI, 2017; LOPEZ-VARELA; GONZALEZ-GROSS; MARCOS, 2002).

ACEROLA: NATURAL SOURCE OF VITAMIN C

Acerola cherry (Malpighia emarginata) is known as one of the greatest sources of L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), up to 30 times more than orange, besides other nutrients (Table 1), making it attractive and increasingly popular in the human diet (MATTA et al., 2004; MEZADRI et al., 2006).

The market demand for acerola has grown significantly in recent years, not only in the natural food products sector, but also as a source of ascorbic acid for pharmaceutical purposes, due to its biological potential, related to high levels of vitamin C and presence of phenolic compounds (ASSIS et al., 2008).

Synthetic and natural Vitamins C are chemically identical; however, some studies suggest that the presence of other nutrients, such as minerals, fibers and phytochemicals, could influence their bioavailability. Several studies based on animal samples, attributed to flavonoids the function of increasing the bioavailability of Vitamin C (CARR; VISSERS, 2013).

Uchida et al., 2011, investigating the possibility of other food components interaction in the ascorbic acid absorption and excretion, compared the bioavailability of ascorbic acid administered alone with that naturally present in acerola juice. The results evidenced that acerola juice promoted better plasma absorption for ascorbic acid and minimized its excretion via the urine when compared to ascorbic acid alone.

Karina Luize da Silva, Research & Development Specialist at Duas Rodas

Tailyn Zermiani dos Santos, Research & Development Analyst at Duas Rodas

REFERENCES

ASLAM, M. F.; MAJEED, S.; ASLAM, S.; IRFAN, J. A. Vitamins: Key Role Players in Boosting Up Immune Response-A Mini Review. Vitamins & Minerals, v. 6, n.1, p 1 -8 , 2017.

ASSIS, S. A.; PEDRO-FERNANDES, F.; MARTINS, A. B. G.; O. M. M. FARIA-OLIVEIRA. Acerola: importance, culture conditions, production and biochemical aspects. Fruits, v. 63, n. 2, p. 93-10, 2008.

BARTOSZ, G. Food Oxidants and Antioxidants Chemical, Biological, and Functional Properties, CRC Press, 2014, 570 p.

BELWAL, T.; DEVKOTA, H. P.; HASSAN, H. A.; AHLUWALIA, S.; RAMADA, M. F.; MOCAN, A.; ATANASOV, A. G. Phytopharmacology of Acerola (Malpighia spp.) and its potential as functional food. Trends in Food Science & Technology, v. 74, p. 99-106, 2018.

CARR, A. C.; MAGGINI, S. Vitamin C and Immune Function.  Nutrients, v.9, n. 1211, 2017.

CARR, A. C.; VISSERS, M. C. M. Synthetic or Food-Derived Vitamin C—Are They Equally Bioavailable? Nutrients, v. 5, p.4284 – 4304, 2013.

DAVE, K. N.; PATIL, R. S. Biological Importance of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) in Human Health. International Journal sea Research In Biology & Pharmacy. v. 3, n. 7, p. 1 – 8, 2017.

FRANKEL, E. N. Antioxidants in food and biology: Facts and fiction. 2 ed., 2012, 265 p.

IQBAL, K.; KHAN, A.; KHATTAK, M. A. K. Biological significance of ascorbic acid (vitamin c) in human health – a review. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, v. 3, n. 1, p. 5-13, 2004. 

MATTA, V.M.; MORETTI, V.M.; CABRAL, L.M.C. Microfiltration and reverse osmosis for clarification and concentration of acerola juice. Journal of Food Engineering, v. 61, p. 477–482, 2004.

MEZADRI, T.; FERNÁNDEZ-PACHÓN, M. S.; VILLANO, D.; GARCIÁ-PARRILLA, M. C.; TRONCOSO, A. M. The acerola fruit: composition, productive characteristics and economic importance. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, v. 56, n. 2, p. 101–109, 2006.

UCHIDA, E.; KONDO, Y.; AMANO, A.; AIZAWA, S.; HANAMURA, T.; AOKI, H.; NAGAMINE, K.; KOIZUMI, T.; MARUYAMA, N.; ISHIGAMI, A. Absorption and Excretion of Ascorbic Acid Alone and in Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) Juice: Comparison in Healthy Japanese Subjects. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, v. 34, n.11, p.1744-1747, 2011.

USDA (National Nutrient Database for Standard). USDA.gov – United States Department of Agriculture. Available at: <https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ >.

WALSH; N. P. Nutrition and Athlete Immune Health: New Perspectives on an Old Paradigm. Sports Medicine, v. 49, p. 153-168, 2019.