Cladodes from Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck (Cactaceae) attenuate postprandial glycaemia without markedly influencing α-glucosidase activity

Abstract

Although the cladodes of Nopalea cochenillifera are used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat diabetes and various other diseases, its antihyperglycaemic properties, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity are not well documented. Thus, we determined the activity of a single dose of fresh, blended cladodes on postprandial glycaemia in rats after a starch load. We prepared a methanolic extract of N. cochenillifera cladodes and measured its phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The antihyperglycaemic effect of blended cladodes was similar to that of acarbose when considering the changes in glucose levels from baseline. Furthermore, the methanolic extract contained a considerable amount of phenolic compounds and exhibited antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, but did not markedly inhibit α-glucosidase and had a low antioxidant effect in the ABTS test.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Nopalea cochenillifera
• postprandial glycaemia
• oral starch tolerance test
• α-glucosidase
• polyphenols
• antioxidant capacity

Ackowledgements

We appreciate technical assistance from Mariana Roxo, Ventura Ramírez, Miguel Serna, María Reséndiz, Héctor Peniche, and Norma Morales. The authors thank Dr. Salvador García-López, Prof. Dr. Michael Wink and Prof. Dr. Ben-Erik Van Wyk for critical reviews of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Universidad de Guadalajara (REC/164/2017, REC/198/2017, and PROSNI 2017, 2018, and 2019).