Common names | Acai
Scientific name | Euterpe oleracea
Used part | Fruit
Known active compounds | orientin, homoorientin, vitexin, luteolin, quercetin 

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory
Product name | Acai Berry-ANB

 

 

Plant Story

Euterpe oleracea, commonly known as acai palm, is a species of palm tree native to South America. It is grown in the Amazon rainforest and cultivated for its fruit and hearts of palm. The fruits, commonly called acai berries, are small and round, and their color is purple black. Fresh berries have been consumed by indigenous people in the Amazon. Today, it is popular as a super fruit due to its high anti-oxidant capacity.

 

Major polyphenolic compounds in acai pulp include anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, and lignans. Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins are considered to be an anti-oxidant but their concentrations are relatively low in acai berries. Among them, flavonoids are the major components, which is dominated by flavonoids including orientin, homoorientin, vitexin, luteolin, chrysoeriol, quercetin, velutin, and dihydrokaempferol. These flavonoids showed anti-oxidant activities when tested with ORAC assay and inhibited cellular ROS formation. The anti-inflammatory activities of acai flavonoids were shown by secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter assay, which is to measure NF-κB activation. Among tested flavonoids, velutin was found to inhibit SEAP secretion. In another study, velutin showed anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting NF-κB activation as well as TNF-αand IL-6 production.