Abstract

PASSOS, Luiz Augusto Corrêa et al. Survival and infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi in açaí pulp: in vitro and in vivo study. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2012, vol.21, n.2, pp.223-232. ISSN 1679-4974.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742012000200005.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate infectivity by Trypanosoma cruzi and its survival in açaí pulp. METHODS: experiments were performed in vitro and in vivo; aliquots of pulp from Belém City (capital of the state of Pará, Northern Region of Brazil) were mixed with 10⁵ trypomastigotes, and maintained at room temperature, and at temperatures of 4^oC and -20^oC, within different incubation periods; following that, the parasites were isolated and inoculated into immunodeficient mice CB-17-Prkdc^scid/PasUnib, by intraperitoneal, oral, orgavage routes. RESULTS: all routes showed effectiveness. There was a delay of 5 days in the beginning of the parasitemia by oral infection; the pulp at room temperature for 48h kept the parasite virulence preserved. Keeping the samples cooled at 4^oC during 144h and the freezing at -20^oC for 26h did not kill the parasite. CONCLUSION: tests suggest that açaí pulp consumption may be related to outbreaks of acute Chagas' disease in Northern Brazil.

Keywords : Trypanosoma cruzi; Chagas Disease; Juices; Mice; Imunocompromised Host.

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