Abstract Exercise is a double-edged sword: when practiced in moderation, it increases the expression of antioxidant enzymes, but when practiced strenuously it causes oxidative stress and cell damage. In this context, polymorphisms in the interleukin (IL)-6 gene should be investigated better because they can influence performance, at least in exercise that generates oxidative stress and leads to muscular injuries with consequent inflammation. In this work, we investigated the influence of IL-6 –174 G/C polymorphism on tissue damage and inflammation markers, lipid peroxidation, hemogram and lipid profile of runners before and after ingestion of 400 mg of pequi oil in capsules supplied daily for 14 consecutive days. The IL-6 genotypes were associated with significant differences in lipid peroxidation, with the CC mutant having lower values. There were also significant differences among these genotypes in the response to supplementation with pequi oil, exercise-induced damage and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The best protection against damage was observed with the heterozygous genotype. Although the CC genotype showed an increase in CRP levels after supplementation, the lack of a positive correlation between triglycerides and high-sensitivity CRP in this mutant genotype after supplementation indicated a protective effect of pequi. These findings deserve further investigation, particularly with regard to the quantification of circulating IL-6 concentrations.

O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar, pela primeira vez, os polifenois totais e a atividade antioxidante por DPPH (2- difenil-1- picryhydrazyl radical) em acessos cultivados de Phaseolus lunatus L., provenientes de uma coleção de germoplasma mantida pela Embrapa, no Brasil, e detectar mudanças nos teores de polifenóis totais, flavonoides e taninos condensados, após a regeneração dos acessos em casa de vegetação. Os resultados mostraram a diversidade da coleção de fava para compostos fenólicos, que foram fortemente correlacionados com a atividade antioxidante. Os acessos de fava com os teores mais elevados de polifenóis e de atividade antioxidante foram aqueles com sementes coloridas. A conservação das sementes de P. lunatus na câmara fria da coleção de germoplasma não afetou, necessariamente, os polifenois, sendo que as variações após a regeneração das sementes parecem resultar principalmente de fatores bióticos e abióticos, incluindo não apenas cultivar, mas também condições ambientais. Este estudo sugeriu que os polifenóis da fava apresentam atividade antioxidante, com possíveis efeitos benéficos para a saúde humana. Esperamos que o potencial deste apetitoso legume também possa ser aplicado como alimento funcional e/ou como um novo ingrediente na gastronomia.

The objective of this study was to characterize for the first time polyphenols and DPPH (2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical) antioxidant activity in commonly cultivated accessions of Phaseolus lunatus from an ex situ germplasm collection maintained by Embrapa, in Brazil. Furthermore, the study aimed to detect changes in total polyphenols, total flavonoids and condensed tannin for the same accessions after regeneration in a greenhouse. The results showed the diversity of the lima bean collection for phenolic compounds, which were strongly correlated with antioxidant activity. Lima beans accessions with the highest polyphenols and antioxidant activity were those with colored seeds. Conservation through cold storage of P. lunatus seeds in a cold chamber in the germplasm collection did not necessarily affect phenolic compounds. Variations observed in values after regeneration seeds may be mainly results of biotic and abiotic factors, including not only cultivar, but also environmental conditions. This study suggests that polyphenols in the lima beans present antioxidant activity, with possible beneficial effects for human health. It was expected that the potential of this tasty legume can be also used as a functional food crop and/or as a new ingredient in gastronomy.