Acrocomia crispa Fruit Extract for Anti-Inflammatory Applications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current anti-inflammatory drugs for treating chronic inflammatory diseases like BPH, osteoarthritis, and prostatitis often come with adverse effects such as gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular risks, and oxidative stress, which limits their efficacy and safety, especially for long-term use.

Innovation Solution

An active ingredient derived from the fruits of Acrocomia crispa and Acrocomia aculeata, comprising a mixture of linear fatty acids and sterols, is obtained through drying, milling, and selective extraction methods, which can be used in nutritional, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic formulations to address inflammation and oxidative stress without the adverse effects of synthetic drugs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, then anti-inflammatory efficacy is improved, but adverse effects (gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular risks, oxidative stress) increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanti-inflammatory efficacyVSAvoidadverse effects
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates specific bioactive compounds (fasanol, fatty acids, sterols) from the Acrocomia crispa fruit to create a natural anti-inflammatory agent. This extraction process separates the beneficial anti-inflammatory components from the rest of the plant material, providing therapeutic effects without the harmful side effects associated with synthetic drugs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes a natural, renewable resource (fruit of Acrocomia crispa) as the source of anti-inflammatory compounds. This natural source replaces expensive and potentially harmful synthetic pharmaceuticals with an abundant, sustainable plant-based alternative that can be continuously produced without depleting resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If natural extracts are used as anti-inflammatory agents, then safety is improved, but potency is insufficient compared to synthetic drugs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety profileVSAvoidanti-inflammatory potency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple bioactive compounds (fasanol, fatty acids including oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, and sterols) from the Acrocomia crispa fruit into a single therapeutic formulation. This synergistic combination of natural compounds achieves enhanced anti-inflammatory potency that rivals synthetic drugs while maintaining the safety advantages of natural products.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite natural extract containing a specific profile of fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated) and sterols extracted from Acrocomia crispa fruit. This composite material leverages the synergistic effects of multiple natural compounds to achieve therapeutic potency comparable to synthetic drugs while avoiding their adverse effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional extraction methods are used to obtain active ingredients, then process simplicity is maintained, but extraction efficiency and purity are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveextraction process simplicityVSAvoidextraction efficiency and purity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs advanced extraction techniques including supercritical fluid extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis that modify extraction parameters (temperature, pressure, solvent type) to significantly improve the efficiency and purity of bioactive compound recovery from Acrocomia crispa fruit, achieving pharmaceutical-grade extract quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical extraction methods with enzymatic hydrolysis using lipases to break down lipids and release bound fatty acids and sterols. This biochemical approach substitutes for traditional solvent-based extraction, improving both the completeness of extraction and the purity of the isolated active ingredients.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The active ingredient effectively reduces inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, demonstrating higher potency and safety compared to natural extracts and synthetic anti-inflammatory agents, with no reported toxicity in rodent studies and good tolerance in humans, offering a promising treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases.

Implementation Method 1

The selective extraction of the lipid fraction can be done by organic solvents or by extraction with supercritical fluids

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectExtraction with organic solvents: Solvation

Implementation Method 2

The selective extraction of the lipid fraction can be done by organic solvents or by extraction with supercritical fluids

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSupercritical fluid extraction: Supercritical Fluid Extraction

Implementation Method 3

a partial or total hydrolysis (enzymatic, basic or acid) of the vegetable material or of its lipid fraction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Data Source

PatentEP2862567B1Compounds from the fruits of acrocomia crispa and acrocomia aculata against inflammation and oxidative stress
Publication Date: 2017.07.26 CENT NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS (CINC)

AI summary

This invention is related to the obtainment of a new active ingredient and its obtaining process from green or ripe fruits of both Acrocomia crispa and Acrocomia aculeata species of the Arecaceae family. Such active ingredient can be used as nutritional supplement, cosmetic-therapeutic formulations, or as pharmaceutical compositions for preventing and/or treating inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, and includes a mixture of fatty acids from 6 to 28 carbon atoms (free and/or as acylglycerols or ethyl esters), mainly those saturated of linear chain with 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 carbon atoms, and those unsaturated of 16 and 18 carbon atoms, and that may also contain sterols and fatty alcohols.