Effects of Prickly Pear Nectar on Blood Glucose and Platelet Aggregation in a Type 2 Model of Diabetes

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: An estimated 26.3 million Americans have Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Currently six classes of agents are approved for the treatments of Type 2 DM. Problems with current options have led to searches for new medications and adjunctive therapy. Prickly pear (Opuntia species) has been traditionally used by Mexicans and Pima Indians for the treatment of DM. This is a retrospective analysis of data obtained from a randomized placebo-controlled prospective experiment in 28 Type 2 DM rodents (ZDF). There were 2 negative control groups which consisted of non-DM rodents and ZDFs; each receiving water. The positive control group consisted of ZDFs who received rosiglitazone 4.75 mg/kg/day. The treatment group consisted of ZDFs who received 5-10 mL/kg/dose of Opuntia ficus indica (Jugo De Nopal) liquid, given twice daily. Weight, blood glucose and platelet aggregation were recorded and analyzed. At baseline, there were no significant differences in weight or blood glucose among ZDF groups. The lean control rodents had significantly lower blood glucose compared to the ZDF rodents (p<0.001). Treatment with Jugo de Nopal resulted in a statistically significant reduction in blood glucose (p<0.001), with a mean decrease in blood glucose of 7%. All treatment groups demonstrated a significant weight gain, however, the prickly pear group had significantly less weight gain than the rosiglitazone group (p=0.028). CONCLUSIONS: There was not a significant difference among the treatment groups with regard to platelet responsiveness. Further studies are necessary to determine the efficacy of prickly pear as a blood glucose lowering agent.