US Patent No. 7,799,354

CLAIMS
1. A composition comprise freeze-dried Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit pulp powder, the composition comprising: (a) freeze-dried Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit pulp powder having a total anthocyanin concentration greater than about 1 milligram per gram total weight; (b) freeze-dried Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit pulp powder having an ORAC.sub.FL value greater than about 350 micromole TE per gram total weight; and (c) freeze-dried Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit pulp powder having a residual water content less than about 3 weight percent of the total weight; whereby the freeze-dried Acai fruit pulp powder is prepared by hulling the Acai fruits to isolate Acai fruit pulp from the Acai fruits, freezing the Acai fruit pulp to a temperature less than about 0 degrees C.; and freeze-drying the Acai fruit pulp under conditions to yield a freeze-dried Acai fruit pulp powder.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises freeze-dried Jucara powder.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the anthocyanin concentration of the composition is from about 1 milligram per gram to about 100 milligrams per gram total weight of the composition.

4. The composition of claim 2, wherein the anthocyanin concentration of the composition is from about 1 milligram per gram to about 100 milligrams per gram total weight of the composition.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

6. A composition comprising freeze-dried Acai fruit pulp, the composition comprising: (a) freeze-dried Acai fruit pulp having a cyclooxygenase inhibition value greater than about 15 Aspirin.RTM. mg equivalent per gram total weight; and (b) freeze-dried Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit pulp having a total anthocyanin concentration greater than about 1 milligram per gram total weight; (c) freeze-dried Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit pulp having an ORAC.sub.FL value greater than about 350 micromole TE per gram total weight; and whereby the freeze-dried Acai fruit pulp is prepared by hulling the Acai fruits to isolate Acai fruit pulp from the Acai fruits, freezing the Acai fruit pulp to a temperature less than 0 degrees C. and freeze-drying the Acai fruit pulp.

7. The composition of claim 6, wherein the composition further comprises freeze-dried Jucara fruit.

8. The composition of claim 6, wherein the anthocyanin concentration of the composition is from about 1 milligram per gram to about 100 milligrams per gram total weight of the composition.

9. The composition of claim 7, wherein the anthocyanin concentration of the composition is from about 1 milligram per gram to about 100 milligrams per gram total weight of the composition.

10. The composition of claim 6, wherein the composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

11. A method of treating a disease or an injury induced by pathological free radical reactions in a mammal, the method comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of a composition comprising freeze-dried Euterpe oleracea (Acai) fruit pulp powder comprising a total anthocyanin concentration greater than about 1 milligram per gram total weight, an ORAC.sub.FL value greater than about 350 micromole TE per gram total weight.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the freeze-dried Acai fruit pulp powder is prepared by hulling the Acai fruits to isolate Acai fruit pulp from the Acai fruits, freezing the Acai fruit pulp to a temperature less than about 0 degrees C.; and freeze-drying the Acai fruit pulp under conditions to yield a freeze-dried Acai fruit pulp powder, wherein the composition quenches free radicals and reduces the damage induced by pathological free radicals.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the disease or injury is selected from the group consisting of: cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, vascular disease, arthritis, ulcer, acute respiratory distress syndrome, ischemia-reperfusion injury, neurodegenerative disorders, autism, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, gastrointestinal disease, tissue injury induced by inflammation, and tissue injury induced by an environmental toxin.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the composition further comprises freeze-dried Jucara fruit.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the anthocyanin concentration of the composition is from about 1 milligram per gram to about 100 milligram per gram total weight of the composition.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the anthocyanin concentration of the composition is from about 1 milligram per gram to about 100 milligrams per gram total weight of the composition.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the composition contains a residual water content less than about 3 weight percent of the total weight of the composition.