Xoconostle to reduce glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides

Claudia Villalobos

Due to its high antioxidant content, the rind of the Opuntia joconostle fruit, commonly known as xoconostle, possesses biological activity to reduce glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the blood.

This sour prickly pear is an endemic fruit of Mexico that, in addition to being used to prepare some traditional dishes, is also used as an aid in the care of the digestive system and to control diabetes.

A study conducted by Brenda Yadira Pérez Ramírez, a researcher at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) of the Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB), to obtain a Ph.D. in Chemical Biological Sciences, seeks to give scientific support to the ethnobotanical use of the fruit and contribute to the health care of the population.

The young researcher used the fruit produced in San Martín de las Pirámides, State of Mexico. To obtain the aqueous extract, the ENCB doctoral student macerated the raw material in water and volatilized the solvent with a rotovapor to obtain the final concentrate.

Due to the high frequency of diabetes and dyslipidemias in Mexico, Pérez Ramírez did not rule out the possibility of generating a phytopharmaceutical that would contribute to the population's health care. Another alternative would be to use the extract to make a nutraceutical product, since xoconostle, in addition to having a nutritional function, has a beneficial effect on health.

"In this case, it could work as a complement to reduce the risk of complications due to diabetes and dyslipidemia (high cholesterol and triglycerides), by maintaining stable levels of glucose and both lipids in the blood," he said.

Two Animal Models

Brenda Yadira Pérez Ramírez evaluated the biological activity of the extract separately. For this purpose, she formed two groups of animals (rats), the first with diabetes and the second with dyslipidemia.

In the first case, he administered the substance to the animals for fifteen days and found that from day 11 glucose levels gradually decreased. In the second group of rats, he found that a single dose of the extract was sufficient to see a change in cholesterol levels on the following day of administration.

From Industrial Waste to Phytopharmaceuticals Ms. Perez Ramirez oriented her research to the use of the peel, considered industrial waste since upon analyzing it she found that it contains phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and betalains, powerful antioxidants, which favorably affect the reduction of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. "When I observed these properties, I decided to elaborate an aqueous extract from the fresh peel, which could be used as a complement to treat diabetes and dyslipidemias without causing side effects," he explained.

Xoconostle is a fruit of the semi-arid zones of Mexico, especially in Puebla, the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, and Guanajuato.

Safety Although it is a natural product, the young scientist carried out toxicity tests to guarantee the innocuousness of the extract. She found that so far it has had no negative effects on health. However, she will carry out further studies to corroborate that it does not cause adverse damage.

Next Stage The polytechnic researcher said that, due to the high content of antioxidants, the next stage of the study will consist of assessing its anti-inflammatory effects, since diabetes is a disease closely related to inflammatory processes, and the antioxidants in xoconostle may have favorable results in reducing this condition.

In Mexico, there are several endemic foods with beneficial properties for health care, so it is important to give scientific support to the ethnobotanical use they have had since ancient times.

In this research, Brenda Yadira Pérez Ramírez was assisted by ENCB scientists Leticia Garduño Siciliano and Isela Álvarez González.