Cnidoscolus Aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst.: A Food Proposal Against Thromboembolic Diseases

ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. The most common underlying pathologies of cardiovascular disorders are thromboembolic diseases. The antithrombotic therapy prevents the formation of thrombi or dissolves the previously constituted ones. However, it presents a high rate of accidents such as gastric bleeding and cerebrovascular embolisms. Thus, the use of herbal medicine has become a viable option for the treatment of such diseases. Reports of traditional Mayan and Nigerian medicine indicate that the Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst, knowed as Chaya by Mayas in Yucatán, is used as a blood thinner. Currently, there are limited scientific reports that support the antithrombotic activity of the chaya, among which its cardioprotective, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic effect has been reported. However, the exact mechanism by which the chaya exerts these effects is not yet known. Due to the ethnobotanical reports of traditional medicine and existing scientific studies, it is possible to suggest that chaya extracts exert a biological effect on various platelet, coagulant and fibrinolytic enzymes of the blood hemostatic system. This review will analyze the content of secondary metabolites present in Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst leaf extracts, in order to propose the possible antithrombotic mechanisms of chaya.

KEYWORDS:

• Cnidoscolus aconitifolius
• chaya
• antithrombotic
• platelet aggregation
• coagulation
• fibrinolysis
• secondary metabolites

Acknowledgments

Thanks to CONACYT for providing scholarship to Quintal-Martínez. Also, to Kellogg’s foundation for project P3037075.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the CONACYT; W.K. Kellogg Foundation [P3037075].