Araçá (Psidium Cattleianum Sabine) ethanol extracts increase lifespan and alleviate oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans

Yellow- and red-colored berry varieties of araçá (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) ethanolic extracts have excellent antioxidant capacity in vitro and in vivo. Extracts were not toxic to Caenorhabditis elegans up to the highest concentration tested (5 mg CAE/mL), as demonstrated by the survival and reproduction assays. The different colors of the fruits showed different responses to the stressors used (hydrogen peroxide and juglone), probably due to the different bioactive compounds prevalent in each color. We observed that the yellow araçá extract showed a greater capacity to remove free radicals, although both extracts prolonged the worms’ lifespan and alleviated oxidative stress. Additionally, our findings showed that changes in hsp-16.2 expression may be related to the results obtained.