Cactus young cladodes improves unbalanced glycemic control, dyslipidemia, prooxidant/antioxidant stress biomarkers and stimulate lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and paraoxonase activities in young rats after cafeteria diet exposure

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the protective potential of prickly pear cactus fresh cladodes (opuntia ficus indica (OFI)) on glycemic disorders, dyslipidemia, prooxidant/antioxidant stress biomarkers and reverse cholesterol transport (by evaluating the activity of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT)) and paraoxonase (PON1) in rats prematurely exposed to cafeteria diet (CD). Design/methodology/approach Sixteen young rats were divided into two groups fed CD containing 50 per cent of hyperlipidic diet (HLD) and 50 per cent of junk food mix supplemented or not with 50 g of fresh young cladodes of OFI to 100 g of CD, during 30 days. Findings OFI cladodes supplementation decreased significantly body weight (p < 0.001), food intake (p < 0.05), adipose tissue weight (p < 0.01), fasting glycemia and glycosylated hemoglobin (p < 0.01), homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) and insulinemia (p < 0.001), levels of cholesterol (C) (p < 0.05) and triacylglycerols (TG) (p < 0.01) in serum and in very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL-C p < 0.05 and VLDL-TG p < 0.01) and improves reverse cholesterol transport by increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesteryl-esters concentrations (p < 0.001) and by stimulating LCAT activity. Moreover, they attenuated lipid peroxidation in VLDL and low-density lipoproteins by increasing atheroprotective activity of PON-1 and in liver and adipose tissue by enhancing enzymatic antioxidant defence. Social implications The young cladodes of OFI because of their antiobesity benefits could constitute a novel functional ingredient in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Originality/value Young cladodes of OFI in rat precociously submitted to a hyperlipidic diet/junk food (cafeteria model) seem to prevent metabolic disorders associated with obesity.

An overview and update on the chemical composition and potential health benefits of Opuntia ficus‐indica (L.) Miller

“…In Administration of fresh young cladodes in young rats exposed to cafeteria diet significantly reduced food intake, body weight and adipose tissue weight and it also inhibited lipid peroxidation in adipose tissue and liver by improvement of enzymatic antioxidant defence (Chekkal et al, 2019). Addition of 5% cladodes to the diet of obese Wistar rats fed with HFD + 5% sucrose in drinking water resulted in modification of gut microbiota and increasing intestinal occludin-1.…”

“…Fresh young cladodes elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesteryl-esters and stimulated LCAT activity, which improved reverse cholesterol transport in young rats after cafeteria diet exposure. It also improved the atheroprotective activity of paraoxonase (PON-1), which inhibited lipid peroxidation in very-low-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins (Chekkal et al, 2019). Cladode aqueous extract showed the inhibition of pancreatic lipase (IC 50 = 588.5 μg/ml) and lowered the blood cholesterol level in triton-induced hypercholesteremia in mice (Padilla-Camberos et al, 2015).…”

“…Adding OFI cladode flour into the diet of HFD mice produced improvement of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (Urquiza‐Martínez et al, 2020). Fresh young cladode supplementation significantly reduced fasting glycemia and glycosylated hemoglobin in young rats exposed to cafeteria diet (Chekkal et al, 2019). It was reported that consumption of OFI could lower the postprandial blood glucose level, serum insulin, and plasma glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) peaks in addition to increasing the antioxidant activity in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy people (López‐Romero et al, 2014).…”

“…Adding OFI cladode flour into the diet of HFD mice resulted in normalized body weight and adiposity, modulation of the cumulative caloric intake in a diet‐dependent manner, decreased resting time and increased grooming tested by behavioral satiety sequence (BSS), normalization of microglia density in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus in obese mice and significant reduction in their activation (Urquiza‐Martínez et al, 2020). Administration of fresh young cladodes in young rats exposed to cafeteria diet significantly reduced food intake, body weight and adipose tissue weight and it also inhibited lipid peroxidation in adipose tissue and liver by improvement of enzymatic antioxidant defence (Chekkal et al, 2019). Addition of 5% cladodes to the diet of obese Wistar rats fed with HFD + 5% sucrose in drinking water resulted in modification of gut microbiota and increasing intestinal occludin‐1.…”

The cactus cladode (Opuntia ficus indica) modulates uricemia, improves endothelial dysfunction and corrects oxidative damage in rats fed a cafeteria diet

“…Previous studies on the chemical composition of the edible cladodes from Opuntia ficus indica (OFI) show that this food has a high nutritional value, mainly due to their proteins, fibers and phytochemical contents (Rodriguez-Garcia et al , 2007; Hernández-Pérez et al , 2005; Ayadi et al , 2009; Rodríguez-Félix and Cantwell, 1998). Interestingly, antioxidant activity has also been reported (Kuti, 2004; Corral-Aguayo et al , 2008; Harrat et al , 2019; Chekkal et al , 2020). The use of animal models with diet-induced obesity helps to evaluate the nutritional values and some biological parameters of OFI nopalitos (Morán-Ramos et al , 2012; Kang et al , 2013); among these models, the cafeteria diet (CD) makes use of grocery store-purchased food items that more closely approximate the human ultra-processed diet (processed foods are basically made by adding salt, oil, sugar or additives such as artificial colors flavors and stabilizers) (Monteiro et al , 2019) than commercial high-fat or high-sugar rodent's diets (Gomez-Smith et al , 2016).…”