Antioxidants have drawn the attention of the scientific community due to being related to the prevention of various degenerative diseases. The antioxidant capacity has been extensively studied in vitro, and different methods have been used to assess its activity. However, the main issues related to studying natural antioxidants are evaluating whether these antioxidants demonstrate a key role in the biological system and assessing their bioavailability in the organism. The majority of outcomes in the literature are controversial due to a lack of method standardization and their proper application. Therefore, this study aims to compile the main issues concerning the natural antioxidant field of study, comparing the most common in vitro methods to evaluate the antioxidant activity of natural compounds, demonstrating the antioxidant activity in biological systems and the role of the main antioxidant enzymes of redox cellular signaling and explaining how the bioavailability of bioactive compounds is evaluated in animal models and human clinical trials.

Mauritia flexuosa (Buriti) pulp oil contains bioactive substances and lipids that are protective against cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. We performed physical and chemical analyses to verify its quality and stability. Buriti oil was stable according to the Rancimat test, presenting an induction period of 6.6 h. We evaluated the effect of supplementation with crude buriti oil and olive oil on metabolic parameters in 108 Swiss mice for 90 days. We investigated six groups: extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1 and 2 (1000 and 2000 mg/kg), buriti oil (BO) 1 and 2 (1000 and 2000 mg/kg), synergic (S) (BO1 + EVOO1), and control (water dose 1000 mg/kg). The animals were euthanized to examine their blood, livers, and fats. The supplementation did not interfere with food consumption, weight gain, and histological alterations in the liver. Group S showed the strongest relationship with the fractions HDL-c and non-HDL-c, indicating a possible cardioprotective effect. Moreover, we observed significantly higher IL-6 levels in the control, EVOO2, and BO1 groups than in the EVOO1 group. Resistin was also significantly higher for the synergic treatment than for the control. We conclude that BO combined with EVOO could be an excellent food supplement for human consumption.

The fruit of Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. is a source of oil with active compounds that are protective to the organism. In our work, we analyzed the physicochemical characteristics and evaluated the effects of supplementation with C. brasiliense oil in an animal model. We characterized the oil by indices of quality and identity, optical techniques of absorption spectroscopy in the UV–Vis region and fluorescence, and thermogravimetry/derived thermogravimetry (TG/DTG). For the animal experiment, we utilized mice (Mus musculus) supplemented with lipidic source in different dosages. The results demonstrated that C. brasiliense oil is an alternative source for human consumption and presents excellent oxidative stability. Primarily, it exhibited oleic MFA (53.56%) and palmitic SFA (37.78%). The oil level of tocopherols and tocotrienols was superior to the carotenoids. The supplementation with C. brasiliense oil reduced the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-c, and non-HDL-c. Regarding visceral fats and adiposity index, the treatment synergically supplemented with olive oil and C. brasiliense oil (OO + CO) obtained the best result. Therefore, C. brasiliense oil is a high quality product for consumption. Its supplementation promotes beneficial effects mainly on the lipidic profile.

Introdução: A apneia obstrutiva do sono (AOS) tornou-se um grande problema de saúde pública, por ser um distúrbio do sono, que resulta em ronco e riscos nocivos para a saúde. A baixa adesão ao tratamento conservador tem dado espaço para a criação de novos dispositivos. Objetivo: comparar custos, funcionalidade, durabilidade e eficiência de tecnologias assistivas aliadas ao tratamento conservador da AOS. Método: A pesquisa exploratória e descritiva foi realizada nas bases National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) e IEEEXplore. Como descritores e palavras-chaves, com o operador booleano “AND” ou “OR”, foram pesquisados os termos “spleep apnea” and “assistive technology” or “self-help devices” or “devices”. Resultados: A pressão positiva contínua nas vias aéreas (CPAP) representa o método padrão-ouro, porém, possui baixa aceitabilidade pelos pacientes com AOS devido a limitação da funcionalidade. O aparelho de avanço mandibular (MAA) é  reconhecido como uma opção de terapia de primeira linha para a AOS leve a moderada apresentando variedade em relação à custo, benefício e durabilidade. O  uso de terapia oral com aparelho (OAT) a longo prazo foi associado a alterações dentárias. Conclusão: Constatou-se a variedade de dispositivos para AOS, ressaltando a necessidade de avaliação da realidade do paciente, sendo de suma importância avaliar o custo-benefício, os sintomas e principalmente, prestar orientações assertivas para a melhor escolha dos dispositivos, sendo o dispositivo de avanço mandibular (MAD), o que apresentou melhor adesão. Ressalta-se a necessidade de novos estudos para melhores intervenções, pois protótipos não substituem tratamentos comprovados.