An açaí oil-loaded nanocapsule formulation attenuates short-term paraquat-associated behavioral, oxidative, and neurochemical alterations in Drosophila melanogaster.

Authors

Nathalie Savedra Gomes, Francisco Andrey da Silva E Silva, Roseana Freitas Rocha, Isadora Calone Bitencourt, Mustafa Munir Mustafa Dahleh, Vandreza Cardoso Bortolotto, Murilo Ricardo Sigal Carrico, Maria Elizabeth Gomes Paz, Rafael Roehrs, Clésio Soldateli Paim, Sandra Hass, Gustavo Petri Guerra, Elton Luis Gasparotto Denardin

Published in

Brain research. Pages 150565. Sep 27, 2026. Epub Sep 27, 2026.

Abstract

Paraquat (PQ) exposure induces oxidative stress, behavioral impairment, and monoaminergic dysfunction in experimental models. This study evaluated the effects of a complete açaí (Euterpe oleracea) oil-loaded nanocapsule formulation (AON) on alterations associated with short-term PQ exposure in Drosophila melanogaster. A preliminary 5-day screening evaluated AON suspension concentrations from 0.2 % to 2.0 % (v/v), after which 0.2 % and 2.0 % were selected for a 5-day co-exposure experiment with 1.8 mM PQ. Each treatment was evaluated in five independent experimental runs, with one vial containing 50 flies constituting one biological replicate. PQ reduced survival, impaired climbing, and reduced open-field activity; it also increased reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, altered catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, and affected acetylcholinesterase activity, dopamine, and serotonin. Co-treatment with the AON formulation was associated with higher survival and attenuation of climbing, oxidative, and selected neurochemical alterations relative to PQ alone. In the variance-robust analysis of open-field activity, the 0.2 % AON co-treatment differed from PQ alone, whereas the 2.0 % co-treatment did not. AON at 2.0 % alone also reduced open-field activity relative to the control. Under the present 5-day conditions, the complete AON formulation attenuated several PQ-associated endpoints; however, the study did not include non-encapsulated açaí oil or empty nanocapsules and therefore does not establish an advantage of nanoencapsulation or the contribution of individual formulation components.

PMID:
42801931
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Sep 2026.

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