1. Introduction
cancer
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, CANCER, CHRONIC DISEASES, NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES, BLOOD
The juçara palm tree produces a small spherical and black–purple fruit similar to açaí. It is rich in phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins. A clinical trial evaluated the absorption and excretion of the main bioactive compounds in urine and the antioxidant capacity in serum and erythrocytes of 10 healthy subjects after juçara juice intake. Blood samples were collected before (0.0 h) and 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h after a single dose (400 mL) of juçara juice, while urine was collected at baseline and 0–3 and 3–6 h after juice intake. Seven phenolic acids and conjugated phenolic acids were identified in urine deriving from the degradation of anthocyanins: protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, vanillic acid glucuronide, hippuric acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and ferulic acid derivative. In addition, kaempferol glucuronide was also found in urine as a metabolite of the parent compound in juçara juice. Juçara juice caused a decrease in the total oxidant status of serum after 0.5 h in comparison to baseline values (Intake of fruits and vegetables has been inversely associated with the development of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases [Recently, our research group compiled the biological effects of juçara fruit with potential benefits to humans [According to Sies [The bioavailability of anthocyanins is considered very low, with the maximum plasma concentration estimated in nanomoles or nanograms, and urinary excretion being less than 0.1% of intake [As knowledge about the metabolism of bioactive compounds is still scarce, the study of intake of phenolic compounds-rich sources, such as juçara fruit, can improve the understanding of its impact on the risk factors for chronic diseases, helping the design of future clinical trials.Previously, the intake of juçara juice by healthy subjects [