Renal and Hepatic Disease: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius as Diet Therapy Proposal for Prevention and Treatment

Abstract

The lack of prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has caused an increase in the mortality rate including conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and liver disease (LD). The high complexity of CKD and LD results in alterations in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. One of the changes observed in CKD and LD is the decrease in albumin, elevation of PO₄⁻³, K⁺, creatinine, urea, and transaminase enzymes. The pharmacological treatment is expensive. Nowadays, phytotherapy is an option to treat NCDs. Aqueous, ethanolic, methanolic, and ethyl acetate extracts of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius have shown nephroprotective and hepatoprotective potential and can be an alternative to prevent and treat CKD and LD. C. aconitifolius, known as Chaya by Mayas in Yucatán, is a shrub that is consumed in Mexico and in the world, has a low cost, it is very accessible, and can growth in extreme weather. The aim of this review is to show the potential biological effects of C. aconitifolius extracts, and the association of the phytochemicals in the extract. It is known that different solvents result in the uptake of different phytochemicals. These have shown various effects such as hypoglycemic, hypotensive, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant, being a natural alternative to the treatment of NCDs.

Key teaching points

• Phytotherapy is a proposal to treat NCDs.

• Cnidoscolus aconitifolius extracts have a hypotensive effect.

• Cnidoscolus aconitifolius extracts reduce blood sugar in diabetic rats.

• Chaya extracts are no toxic for renal and hepatic cells.

Keywords:

• Kidney disease
• liver disease
• functional food
• diet therapy
• health

Author’s contribution

Manzanilla Valdez was the principal author of this review and Segura-Campos the leader of the research and responsible of the final version of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

To Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), for the national scholarship provided (scholarship number: 861083). To Kellogg’s Foundation for project P3037075.