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Research Article Volume 13 Issue 1
Effect of a pitaya-based nutraceutical product (Selenicereus megalanthus) over the hypercholesterolemia regulation in Mus musculus mice
Ariene Chicata, Katiusca Villasana, Angélica Cartay, Issis Arraiz
Received: February 17, 2026 | Published: March 4, 2026
Citation: Chicata A, Villasana K, Cartay A, et al. Effect of a pitaya-based nutraceutical product (Selenicereus megalanthus) over the hypercholesterolemia regulation in Mus musculus mice. J Diabetes Metab Disord Control. 2026;13(1):22-25. DOI: 10.15406/jdmdc.2026.13.00308
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effect of a nutraceutical product based on yellow pitaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) on serum total cholesterol levels in a murine model of hypercholesterolemia. Material and methods: Twenty-six male Mus musculus mice (BIOU: NMRI line, 4 weeks old) were divided into four groups (n=5-6): Healthy, Control, Treatment 1 (T1), and Treatment 2 (T2). Hypercholesterolemia was induced in all but the Healthy group using a high-fat diet for 15 days. Subsequently, for 15 days, the T1 and T2 groups received the pitaya-based nutraceutical (2 g/day, ad libitum). During this treatment phase, T1 was switched to a normal diet, while T2 continued on the high-fat diet. Total cholesterol was measured at 0, 15, and 30 days via the retroorbital sinus technique (Colestat, Wiener Lab.). Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni post-hoc tests (SPSS v.20.0). Results: The high-fat diet successfully induced hypercholesterolemia. A statistically significant reduction in total cholesterol was observed exclusively in the T2 group, which received the nutraceutical while maintaining the high-fat diet. In this group, cholesterol levels decreased from 293.14 mg/dL at day 15 (post-induction) to 195.28 mg/dL at day 30 (post-treatment, p-value ≤ 0.01 vs. Healthy group). No significant cholesterol reduction was observed in the T1 group, which received the nutraceutical alongside a normal diet. Conclusion: In this murine model, the S. megalanthus-based nutraceutical demonstrated a significant cholesterol-lowering effect only when administered concomitantly with a highfat diet. This finding suggests a potential mechanism involving interference with dietary fat absorption, rather than a systemic lipid-lowering effect independent of diet. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanism of action and to evaluate its safety and efficacy in humans.
Keywords: nutraceutical, hypercholesterolemia, yellow pitaya
©2026 Chicata, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.