The nopalitos of Opuntia ficus indica are hypolipemiant, corrects endothelial dysfunction and mitigates the radical attack in rats exposed prematurely to cafeteria diet

Abstract

Diets based on industrially processed foods, rich in calorie, fat and sugar (cafeteria type food), are suitable for modeling, in animals, metabolic abnormalities of human obesity. The literature has long been interested in the therapeutic effects of Opuntia ficus indica (OFI) in particular, its fruit and seed. However, few experiment studies are carried out on cardioprotective effects of its by-coproducts (cladodes or nopalitos). The effects of OFI nopalitos were studied on arterial pressure, dyslipidaemia, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in rats exposed prematurely to cafeteria diet (CD). Sixteen young Wistar male rats were divided into two homogeneous groups fed a CD containing 50% of hyperlipidic diet and 50% of junk food mix, supplemented or not with 50 g of fresh OFI nopalitos, for 30 days. Arterial pressure was not sensitive to OFI nopalitos supplementation. Nevertheless, OFI nopalitos decrease significantly serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols contents, attenuate in serum, blood red cells and aorta, lipid peroxidation by decreasing hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels, and protein oxidation by reducing carbonyls concentrations, improved antioxidant capacity by enhancing antioxidant enzymes activities. In addition, OFI nopalitos reduces serum uric acid level and corrects endothelial dysfunction. OFI nopalitos probably because of their richness in bioactive compounds, improves cardiovascular risk markers in rats exposed prematurely to CD, and could constitute a novel functional ingredient in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical to prevent metabolic disorders induced by an unbalanced diets.