title: Neuroprotective effect of Sapucaia nuts (Lecythis pisonis)on rats fed with high-fat diet.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lecythis pisonis Cambess is commonly known as "castanha de sapucaia" in Brazil. Chemical composition studies revealed that this nut is an excellent source of anti-oxidant minerals and of essential lipids.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study is to assess the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of Lecythis pisonis Cambess on the brain tissue of Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The animals were divided in four experimental groups (n = 6), total of forty-eight rats. Treatments included the standard diet (AIN-93G) and high-fat food, supplemented with Sapucaianut from 14 to 28 days. The gene expression markers TNF-α, NFkB, ZnSOD and HSP-72 were defined through reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR). The anti-oxidant effect was assessed through the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and the measurement of the activity performed by superoxide dismutase enzymes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Accordingly, the gene expression of the inflammatory markers NFkB (p65) and TNF-αwas lower in rats fed on diets supplemented with "sapucaia", and they presented significant difference in the Tukey test (p < 0.05). The heat-shock HSP-72 protein and the ZnSOD enzyme raised the gene expression and showed significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) in both groups fed on Sapucaia nut-based diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, the nutritional properties of the Sapucaia nuts perform important neuroprotective activities because they modulated the anti-oxidant activity and the brain tissue inflammatory process in the assessed animals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular. Universidade Federal de Viçosa. Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia, Campus Barreiras. marcosvidalmartins@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidal Martins
authors.forename: Izabela Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Montezano de Carvalho
authors.forename: Mônica Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Magalhães Caetano
authors.forename: Renata Celi
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lopes Toledo
authors.forename: Antônio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avelar Xavier
authors.forename: José Humberto
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: De Queiroz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D031383:Bertholletia / Q000737:chemistry*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control; D031381:Lecythidaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents
keywords: Brain tissue. Oxidative  stress. Inflammation.  Gene expression.