Cnidoscolus aconitifolius: Nutritional, phytochemical composition and health benefits – A review

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius belonging to Euphorbiaceae family is widely used as a folk medicine among South American countries such as Mexico and Brazil. C. aconitifolius can be considered as a potential green leafy vegetable, largely due to the presence of various secondary metabolites. The different bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, Alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids etc. along with terpenoids with unique structure are exclusive for this genus. C. aconitifolius has numerous nutraceutical benefits proven with pharmacological studies such as anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-microbial etc. The recent upsurge of consumer interest for health promoting products has opened up new vistas for C. aconitifolius application in food product research and development. Limited knowledge about this underutilized plant is representing an opportunity to explore the plant as novel ingredient with vast functional attributes. Keywords: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, phytochemicals, nutraceutical potential, biological activity, diabetes

Comparative Bacterial Metagenomics of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I. M. Johnston and Other Leafy Vegetables

Aims: Vegetables provide a favourable habitat for diverse populations of microorganisms. Some vegetables, especially the ones used in salads are ready-to-eat food products and some phyllosphere bacteria might contribute to the prolonged presence of human food-borne pathogens in these vegetables. Methodology: Phyllosphere bacteria associated with Cnidoscolus aconitifolius were evaluated using a culture-independent approach, Illumina MiSeq platform of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and then compared with publicly available data obtained from Spinacia oleracea (spinach) and Lactuca sativa (lettuce) on GenBank. Results: The results from this study showed that the three vegetables harbor diverse bacterial organisms. Eighty-three (83) Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) assigned to five phyla were obtained from C. aconitifolius phyllosphere. The most predominant phyla across studied vegetables were: Proteobacteria (74.79%), Actinobacteria (8.69%) and Firmicutes (7.37%). Potential human pathogenic species such as Bacillus spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonas spp. were also present in lettuce and spinach. Bacteria with potential for antibiotic production, anti-microbial and antibiotic resistant genes belong to the families Bacillaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Pseudomonaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Enterococcaceae and Streptococcaceae. The most abundant taxa obtained from this study were Pseudomonas, Erwinia, Brachybacterium, Megasphaera, Janthinobacterium, Sphingomonas and Lactobacillus. Conclusion: Our result successfully determined the relative abundance of potential human and plant pathogens in the leafy vegetables and also showed the bacterial community structure in the studied vegetables.

The Green Deer: Chaya as a Potential Source of Protein for the Ancient Maya

Archaeologists have used isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N) of the collagen of human bones, as well as knowledge of available nutrients, to infer that the diet of the ancient Maya was drawn from the resources of the Maya forest landscape. The interpretations have focused on plant carbohydrates from maize and protein dominated by white-tail deer. The δ15N values of bone collagen suggest that most of the protein requirements of the Maya could have been satisfied with a mixture of wild animal flesh and wild and cultivated plants including beans. Chaya, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, domesticated before the Spanish conquest, has a high-protein content and the potential to have been a significant contributor to the ancient Maya diet. Chaya is easily propagated, is grown in home gardens by the Maya today, and is a significant part of the local traditional diet. Chaya's stable isotopic composition of carbon (δ13C) resembles that of other terrestrial plants, but its values for nitrogen (δ15N) are significantly higher. Consumption of chaya would result in slightly higher δ15N values in humans than expected from the consumption of terrestrial animals. Thus, chaya is situated well as a component of the complex, diverse, and varied diets of ancient Mesoamericans.

Domestication reduces phenotypic plasticity in chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst)

Background: Natural selection optimizes phenotypic plasticity in plants found in environmentally variable habitats. However, it is unclear how artificial selection has affected the phenotypic plasticity of crops. Reduced plasticity in crop yield is often considered a desirable feature in cultivated plants; however, limited phenotypic plasticity in this and other traits may also affect the ability of crops to cope with environmental variation. Study species: Wild and domesticated chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst). Question: How domestication has affected the phenotypic plasticity of vegetative traits in response to the light environment? Methods: Leaf area, leaf perimeter, leaf specific area, leaf production, trichome density, stem elongation, growth in stem diameter and slenderness were measured in clones of wild and domesticated plants. These clones were allocated to two contrasting light treatments: fully exposed to sun vs. placement beneath a shade cloth. The phenotypic traits and reaction norms were compared between the genotypes of wild and domesticated plants. Results: Lower plasticity in leaf production and slenderness was observed in the domesticated compared to the wild plants. Leaf production and slenderness are associated with the shade avoidance syndrome, which was evident in wild plants but not manifested in domesticated plants. Reduced plasticity in leaf production also suggests yield stability. Conclusion: Artificial selection reduces phenotypic plasticity in the yield of chaya and in its response to variation in light availability.

Bioactivity and uses of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius has been long used by ethnic groups in Indonesia for vegetables and traditional medicine. This study aims to explain the benefits of C. aconitifolius for food and its bioactivity. The method for writing is library research on scientific articles published online at Google Scholar by using the keywords: uses of C. aconitifolius and bioactivity of C. aconitifolius. All available articles were synthesized to provide comprehensive information on C. aconitifolius for food and its bioactivity. C. aconitifolius has two to three times more nutrients than spinach, spinach, Chinese cabbage, and lettuce. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius bioactivity includes antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antihypercholetrol, analgesic, antianemia, and kidney protection. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaves contain macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals so that they have the potential to be developed for cheap and easily available food. On the other hand, C. aconitifolius also contains anti-nutrients such as phytate and oxalate but with proper processing the antinutrients will be degraded.

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius-supplemented diet enhanced neurocognition, endogenous antioxidants and cholinergic system and maintains hippocampal neuronal integrity in male Wistar rats

Objectives Cnidoscolus aconitifolius have been investigated to have abundant phytochemicals. However, study on the effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius on neurobehavioral performance when supplemented with diet is lacking. The study is aimed at investigating the memory-enhancing effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius-supplemented diet (CAD) using Morris water maze and Novel object recognition test. Methods Ninety male Wistar rats (80–100 g) were fed with CAD (1, 2.5, 5 and 10%) continuously for a period of 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively. Six animals per group were used for assessment of memory performance (Morris water maze [MWM] and Novel object recognition test [NORT]); afterwards the brain tissues were harvested for malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) estimation. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) concentration was also determined. Hippocampal architectural change in the neuron was examined using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and cresyl fast violet (Nissl) stain. Results Higher percentage of CAD significantly (p<0.05) improve memory performance with time-dependent effects in rats fed with CAD on MMW and NORT. MDA significantly (p<0.05) reduce in 1 and 2.5% CAD groups at 4th weeks and in 2.5 and 5% CAD groups at 8th weeks while GSH concentration significantly (p<0.05) increase at 12th weeks in 2.5 and 10% CAD groups. However, CAT concentration significantly (p<0.05) increase in 2.5, and 5%, CAD groups, 1, 5, and 10% CAD groups and in 5, and 10% CAD groups at 4th, 8th and 12th weeks. AChE significantly (p<0.05) reduce at 4th and 12th weeks. Histological assessment reveals no neuronal and pyramidal degeneration (chromatolysis) at the hippocampal Cornu Ammonis 3 (CA3) region. Conclusions The results suggest that CAD boost memory performance in rats through positive modulation of oxidative stress, cholinergic system and degeneration of hippocampal neurons.

Hepato-Renal Activities of Hydro-Methanol Leaf Extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius in Adult Male Wistar Rats

Introduction: Medicinal plants such as Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (CA) have been studied over the years for their protective and curative potentials against a myriad of common global health challenges such as hepatorenal injuries. Objectives: To ascertaining the effects of the hydromethanol leaf extract of CA (HMLECA) on hepato-renal parameters in adult male wistar rats. Method: A total of 18 adult male wistar rats were divided into 3 groups of six rats each. Group I served as the negative control which received distilled water while groups 2 and 3 served as extract treatment groups which received 200 and 400 mg/kg BW of the HMLECA respectively. The administration was daily for a period of 58 days while blood sample for the biochemical analysis was drawn via cardiac puncture at the end of the study following light chloroform anaesthesia. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the administration of both doses of the extract produced no significant (P<0.05) effect on the levels of serum liver enzyme (AST, ALT, ALP), TP, ALB, electrolytes (K+, Na+ and HCO3–), Creatinine and Urea while that of the 400 mg/kg BW produced significant (P<0.05) decrease in the level of TB and Cl –. Hence, the administration of the leaf extract in this study did not elicit any toxic effect on both the liver and kidney functions and could be effective as hepato-renal protective agent. Keywords: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, Liver function, Liver enzymes, Renal function, Serum biochemicals, Serum electrolytes