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Prosthechea karwinskii is an endemic orchid of Mexico with cultural significance for its ornamental, food, religious, and medicinal uses. In traditional medicine, diabetic patients use the leaves of this plant to lower glucose levels. The present study evaluated the effect of P. karwinskii leaves extract on the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in a model of obese rats with insulin resistance for its nutraceutical potential to reduce insulin resistance and oxidative stress. Obesity and insulin resistance were induced with 40% sucrose in water for 20 weeks. Four groups (control rats, obese rats, obese rats administered the extract, and obese rats administered metformin) were evaluated. Extract compounds were identified by UHPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS. Glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and insulin resistance indices (HOMA-IR and TyG), as well as the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, increased in rats in the obese group. Administration of P. karwinskii extract and metformin reduced glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and insulin resistance indices and antioxidant enzyme activity to values similar to those of the control group. Therefore, this study shows the nutraceutical potential of P. karwinskii extract as an ingredient in the formulation of dietary supplements or functional foods to help treat diseases whose pathophysiology is related to oxidative stress and insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric injury is mainly described by inflammation of the gastric epithelium. Recently, our group of work demonstrated that Prosthechea karwinskii leaves extract induces both an in vitro antioxidative action and an in vivo gastroprotective effect in a rat. However, the molecules involved in the gastroprotective action by Prosthechea karwinskii are not known. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine whether Prosthechea karwinskii extract modifies anti-inflammatory and antioxidative biomarkers in an in vivo rat model of indomethacin-induced gastric injury. Rats were orally administered with indomethacin and Prosthechea karwinskii leaf extract. Our results suggest that the gastroprotective effect of Prosthechea karwinskii leaf extract is related to the reduction in leukocyte infiltration and antioxidative action in a model of indomethacin-induced gastric injury. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of the compounds identified in the gastroprotective action of Prosthechea karwinskii leaves extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]