Acerola

Acerola is believed to have originated in the Yucatan. It is a juice rich in rich in vitamin C and has been a supplement for both adults and infants. It has the highest vitamin C concentration of any fruit studied to date. It has also been shown to be a good source of beta-carotene.

In scientific literature it has been reported to prevent age-related diseases and exhibits cytotoxic effects in in vitro studies against human oral squamous cell carcinoma and submandibular gland carcinoma.

It has also been shown to have anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and multidrug resistance reversal activity. Serum extracted from the leaves and the bark of the plant has demonstrated significant anti-fungal activity.

Specific Polyphenols

  • Cyanidin-3-α-O-rhamnoside (C3R)

  • Pelargonidin-3-α-O-rhamnoside (P3R)

  • Quercetin-3-α-O-rhamnoside (quercitrin)

These polyphenols demonstrated strong free radical scavenging activity. They also showed inhibitory activity against the formation of AGE’s. They are thought to have some antioxidant activity against LDL oxidation. LDL oxidation has been shown to promote atherogenesis that leads to coronary artery disease.