Natural Bioactive Compounds of Sechium spp. for Therapeutic and Nutraceutical Supplements

Abstract

Natural products are in great demand because certain secondary metabolites (SMs) are sources of antioxidants, flavorings, active substances, or anticancer agents with less aggressiveness and selectivity, among which triterpenes and flavonoids are of importance because they inhibit carcinogenesis. For Sechium spp. P. Br. (chayotes), there is scientific evidence of antiproliferative activity that has occurred when cancer cell lines have been treated with this fruit. In order to compare future therapeutic designs and identify new and ancestral characteristics, triterpenes and flavonoids were determined in contrasting Sechium genotypes. The obtained data were analyzed via a cladistics approach, with the aim of identifying the characteristics and state of phytochemicals and genetic variables. The concentrations of flavonoids and triterpenes were determined, and a more complex composition of secondary metabolites was found in the wild types as compared to their domesticated genotypes. Bitter fruits contained a higher number of SMs, followed by those with a neutral and sweet flavor. A cladogram showed the differentiation of the three groups based on the flavor of the fruits. The diversity of SMs decreases in evolutionary terms, in response to domestication and environmental adaptation. Therefore, genotypes can be feasibly selected based on fruit flavor for gross-breeding, and cytotoxicity can be reduced without losing possible therapeutic effects.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of the Consumption of Powdered Concentrate of Sechium edule var. nigrum spinosum in Mexican Older Adults with Metabolic Syndrome

“…For this reason, some complementary therapeutic alternatives have been proposed such as the consumption of healthy foods, among which fruits and vegetables with a high content of antioxidants and an anti-inflammatory effect stand out [ 12 ]. In this regard, some studies have reported that S. edule has bioactive compounds with hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypotensive, and lipogenesis inhibitory effects [ 7 , 23 ].…”

“…Therefore, it is necessary to have alternatives that help in the prevention of and reduction in symptoms of this syndrome. In this context, Sechium edule (chayote) ( S. edule ) is an edible plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, whose phytochemical analysis has shown the presence of cucurbitacins, polyphenols, and flavonoids that give it antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, as well as inhibitory effects of lipogenesis [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”

Antihyperlipidemic mechanisms of a formula containing Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Sechium edule, and Syzigium polyanthum: In silico and in vitro studies

“…The constituents information of C. xanthorrhiza rhizome, S. edule fruit, and S. polyanthum leaf was obtained from the literature (Atanasov et al, 2021;Iñiguez-Luna et al, 2021;Ismail et al, 2019;Riviello-Flores et al, 2018) and Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. This database provides active compounds in every part of the plant thereby we can select active compounds from the appropriate part.…”

Selected Species of the Cucurbitaceae Family Used in Mexico for the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

“…Among some current uses of chayote are: its employment in the food industry due the production of starch; in the cosmetic industry, as an ingredient in moisturizers, cleansers, sun lotions, toothpastes, mouthwash, shaving creams, deodorants, and shampoos; and in the animal nutrition area due to its promotion of growth in pigs, because the chayote meals prepared with fruits and leaves were found to replace the standard grower ration in the diet of the pigs without any secondary effects; and this may be one of its most salient uses: in traditional medicine [ 129 ]. Chayote has been widely utilized in the treatment of diabetes, followed by uses such as a diuretic, in renal calculi, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, vermifuge, leprosy, and asthma [ 130 , 131 ].…”