Abstract
Opuntia spp. is a diverse and widely distributed genus in Africa, Asia, Australia, and America. Mexico has the largest number of wild species; mainly O. streptacantha, O. hyptiacantha, O. albicarpa, O. megacantha and O. ficus-indica. The latter being the most cultivated and domesticated species. Throughout history, plants and their phytochemicals have played an important role in health care and Opuntia spp. has shown a high nutritional, medicinal, pharmaceutical, and economic impacts. Its main bioactive compounds include pigments (carotenoids, betalains and betacyanins), vitamins, flavonoids (isorhamnetin, kaempferol, quercetin) and phenolic compounds. Together, they favor the different plant parts and are considered phytochemically important and associated with control, progression and prevention of some chronic and infectious diseases. This first review (Part 1), compiles information from published research (in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies) on its preventive effects against atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, hepatoprotection, effects on human infertility and chemopreventive and/or antigenotoxic capacity. The aim is to provide scientific evidences of its beneficial properties and to encourage health professionals and researchers to expand studies on the pharmacological and therapeutic effects of Opuntia spp.
Highlights
The Traditional Medicine/Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) concept includes any practice, knowledge and belief in health that incorporates medicine based on plants, animals and/or minerals, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises applied individually or in combination to improve human health
They obtained lower concentrations of Cho in serum and liver; as well as a higher activity of the regulatory enzymes of Cho [3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (Cho7AH) [23]. These results prompted other researchers to analyze the intake of prickly pear fruits (PPFs) in patients suffering from isolated heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia [24] and primary hypercholesterolaemia [25]; as well as to extract a glycoprotein (GOFI) from the nopal to be orally administered to mice for two weeks and to show that in both cases the plasma levels of triglycerides (TG), total concentration of cholesterol (tCho) and Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were reduced [26]
By means of a histopathological analysis, the inhibition of the infiltration of inflammatory cells was observed. These results suggest that ODP-Ia is a natural product that can be used in the treatment of hyperlipidemic diseases and that their mechanisms of action are related to the antioxidant potential and the modulation of the enzymes involved in the metabolism of Cho
Summary
Eduardo Madrigal-Santillán 1, * , Jacqueline Portillo-Reyes 1 , Eduardo Madrigal-Bujaidar 2 , Manuel Sánchez-Gutiérrez 3 , Paola E.
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