Cytotoxicity Screening of Sterculia striata A.St.-Hil. & Naudin (Chichá) and Arachis hypogaea L. (Peanut) and Comparative Chemical Profiles Before and After in Vitro Digestion.

This study traced the cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, and phytochemical profile before and after in vitro digestion of nuts from Sterculia striata A. St.-Hil. & Naudin (Malvaceae) (chichá or monkey's peanut), a native plant from Brazil, in comparison with Arachis hypogaea L. (peanut). The antioxidant activity in the 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP) assays was lower in chichá when compared with peanuts, corroborating the lower concentration of polyphenols. None of the samples studied showed significant cytotoxicity in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromideDAD: diode-array detection (MTT) assays. In vitro digestion altered the phytochemical profile in both plants, increasing the concentration of rutin in fresh and roasted chichá but only in raw peanuts. In roasted peanuts, rutin was converted into quercetin. Chichá nuts have been used by the local population for centuries, and the identification of their bioactive components can be useful to promote their benefits as a functional food.