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When

Date - November 11, 2015
1:00 pm

What

MS Thesis – 602
Title: “Investigating Potential Inhibition of Cytochrome P450’s1A1 and 1A2, by Açai Berry Extracts”

Abstract:

Xenobiotic metabolism is an important process within the human body, as it alters foreign hydrophobic molecules and prepares them for excretion.  This process is largely carried out in the liver and is accomplished by a superfamily of heme-containing enzymes, termed the Cytochrome P450’s.  Each individual P450 has a certain specificity for the substrates it may metabolize, but these enzymes are non-selective in nature and may catalyze the metabolism of a wide variety of substrates.  Due to this characteristic of P450-mediated metabolism, multiple pharmaceuticals, when taken concomitantly, may interfere with one another’s metabolism, which can lead to adverse drug reactions.  This can also be true for natural product constituents that have been consumed as a part of one’s dietary intake.  Consumption of the aҫai berry (Euterpe oleracea)* has grown quite rapidly in recent years as it is thought to contain a high concentration of antioxidant molecules, and has also been marketed as a weight loss supplement.  Although it appears to benefit one’s health and longevity, the aҫai berry has not been characterized in terms of its effect on P450-mediated metabolism.  Utilizing an activity guided fractionation approach, aҫai berry extracts were assayed in CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 enzyme reactions to determine constituents responsible for enzyme inhibition.