Phenolic composition, antiproliferative and antiulcerogenic activities of a polyphenol‐rich purified extract from açai ( Euterpe oleracea ) fruits

The bioactivity and phytochemical composition of a partially purified extract of açai (PPEA), concentrated in phenolic compounds (PC) and without the presence of macronutrients, were investigated. The major PC quantified by UHPLC-DAD-LTQ-Orbitrap MS-MS/MS in the PPEA are anthocyanins. In vitro, PPEA showed a cytostatic effect on the K-562 lymphoid leukaemia at a concentration of 40 μg PC mL−1, with a GI50 equal to 1.08 μg PC mL−1. In vivo, the extract did not promote acute toxicity in mice in any of the doses tested. The extract displayed gastroprotective activity in rats treated orally with 16, 48 and 160 mg PC kg−1, with a significant decrease in the ulcerative lesion index, compared with the negative control. The lack of toxicity and the bioactivity of the PPEA show that this extract is beneficial to health and useful as a commercial food additive containing natural violet colourant, with pharmaceutical and functional potentials