ABSTRACT
Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata) is a Cactaceae plant with edible leaves and fruits whose extracts are consumed to promote health, albeit bioactive compounds' bioaccessibility was still not assessed. To address this, ora-pro-nobis fruits (FE) and leaf extracts (LE) were subjected to in vitro digestion to better understand how this process impacts the bioactivities of the extracts. The study investigated the composition of the extracts, their cytotoxicity, and their chemical, plasmatic, and cellular antioxidant capacity. The results revealed that total polyphenolics were about 70% bioaccessible in LE and FE, with phenylalanine being the most bioaccessible essential amino acid in leaves (42.7%) and fruits (83.6%). The samples' antioxidant activity (CUPRAC) was reduced by 25%. LE demonstrated antioxidant activity against human plasma oxidation and haemolysis (21.8%), but digestion mitigated these activities. FE diminished haemolysis (47.0%) and presented cytotoxicity (IC50 = 1086 µg/mL) to HUVEC cells, but these properties were lost following digestion. Ultimately, digestion partially degraded the samples' bioactive compounds, diminishing their cellular protection against oxidative stress.
ABSTRACT
The role of Renin-Angiotensin-System (RAS) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and eclampsia is still unclear. Our aim was to investigate plasma angiotensin II concentration [Ang II] in women with normotensive pregnancies (NP, n = 22) and severe preeclampsia in use of magnesium sulfate (SPE, n = 29). Despite no difference between the groups (SPE: 47.8 pg/ml vs NP: 39.7 pg/ml, p = 0.195), lower maternal age (p = 0.007) and primigravida (p = 0.028) were associated with lower [Ang II]. Plasma [Ang II] increased over the 24 h of magnesium sulfate administration (r = 0.48, p = 0.009). Our findings suggest that RAS may be involved with the mechanism of magnesium protection against eclamptic seizure.
