Abstract
In addition to their own antioxidants, human cells feed on external antioxidants, such as the phenolic compounds of fruits and vegetables, which work together to keep oxidative stress in check. Sechium edule, an edible species of chayote, has phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity and antineoplastic activity. A Sechium hybrid shows one thousand times greater antineoplastic activity than edible species, but its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and the content of phenolic compounds are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of the extract of fruits of the Sechium hybrid in vitro and in vivo. Phytochemical analysis using HPLC showed that the extract of the Sechium hybrid has at least 16 phenolic compounds; galangin, naringenin, phloretin and chlorogenic acid are the most abundant. In an in vitro assay, this extract inhibited 2,2-diphenyl-L-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity and protected the dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) phospholipid model cell membrane from oxidation mediated by hypochlorous acid (HClO). In vivo, it was identified that the most abundant metabolites in the extract enter the bloodstream of the treated mice. On the other hand, the extract reduces the levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interferon gamma (IFNγ), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) but increases interleukin-10 (IL-10) and glutathione peroxidase levels. Our findings indicate that intake of the fruits of the Sechium hybrid leads to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse model. Therefore, these results support the possibility of exploring the clinical effect of this hybrid in humans.
Highlights
The biological activity of the cell implies an exquisite control of cellular metabolism, including the respiratory chain, in which oxidizing molecules are inevitably generated, a process during which an oxygen molecule loses an electron and a superoxide anion is generated; under normal conditions, the latter is rapidly converted into hydrogen peroxide by the enzyme superoxide dismutase and converted into water by catalase and glutathione peroxidase, avoiding free radical generation and oxidative stress damage and ensuring the viability and cellular functionality of any tissue [1]
Once the presence of phenolic compounds in the extract was identified, the presence of flavonoids was analyzed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
This study model was used to corroborate the antioxidant effects of chayote extract, together with hypochlorous acid (HClO), a potent oxidizing antioxidant effects of chayote extract, together with hypochlorous acid (HClO), a potent oxidizing agent that damages bacteria, endothelial cells, tumor cells and red blood cells [23]
Summary
The biological activity of the cell implies an exquisite control of cellular metabolism, including the respiratory chain, in which oxidizing molecules are inevitably generated, a process during which an oxygen molecule loses an electron and a superoxide anion is generated; under normal conditions, the latter is rapidly converted into hydrogen peroxide by the enzyme superoxide dismutase and converted into water by catalase and glutathione peroxidase, avoiding free radical generation and oxidative stress damage and ensuring the viability and cellular functionality of any tissue [1]. The inability of the antioxidant system to compensate for the excess of prooxidant agents leads to destabilization and dysfunctionality of the cells and of the tissue of which they are constituents due to the exacerbation of prooxidant and proinflammatory activity, which can promote the development of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke, heart attack, cancer or chronic liver diseases [1] These diseases have a strong impact on public health since they constitute the top five causes of death in the world despite the availability of conventional (allopathic) therapies to treat each of these diseases [3]. Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. is an edible plant species of Mesoamerican origin whose fruit extract contains nonphenolic alkaloids, saponins, sterols, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids [5], as well as glycosylated flavonoids [6], with antihypertensive [7], antimicrobial [8], antioxidant [9], antitumor [10], nephroprotective [11], anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties [12]
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