Next Article in Journal
Assessment of Tenderness and Anthocyanin Content in Zijuan Tea Fresh Leaves Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Fused with Visual Features
Previous Article in Journal
Combined Effects of 1-MCP and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Flavor Quality and Volatile Profile of Cold-Stored Strawberries Revealed by Untargeted GC-MS Analysis
Previous Article in Special Issue
Evaluating the Microstructure and Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity After the Dehydration of Red Cabbage
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Foods
Volume 14
Issue 17
10.3390/foods14172937
foods-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Systematic Review

Hypoglycemic Effects of Sechium edule (Chayote) in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Preclinical Trials

by
Taide Laurita Arista-Ugalde
1,
Sebastián Delgado-Arroyo
1,
Graciela Gavia-García
1,
David Hernández-Álvarez
1,
Itzen Aguiñiga-Sánchez
2,
Edelmiro Santiago-Osorio
2,
Juana Rosado-Pérez
1,* and
Víctor Manuel Mendoza-Núñez
1,*
1
Research Unit on Gerontology, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Iztapalapa, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
2
Hematopoiesis and Leukemia Laboratory, Research Unit on Cell Differentiation and Cancer, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2025, 14(17), 2937; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172937
Submission received: 29 July 2025 / Revised: 18 August 2025 / Accepted: 19 August 2025 / Published: 22 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioavailability and Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds in Foods)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are chronic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia. Sechium edule (S. edule) has emerged as a complementary option due to its bioactive compounds. A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies was carried out until 25 May 2025 in the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and TESIUNAM. The keywords were “diabetes mellitus”, “Sechium edule”, “Squash”, “Chayote”, “hypoglycemic effect”, and “Older adults”. A total of 110 articles were found; 11 met eligibility criteria (six clinical trials and five preclinical trials). Three clinical trials met the requirements for meta-analysis. The mean difference (MD) was calculated, and data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant decrease in serum glucose after three months (MD = −20.56, 95%CI −29.35 to −11.77, p < 0.0001) and six months after intervention (MD = −12.96, 95%CI = −21.90 to −4.02, p = 0.004). Likewise, there was a significant decrease in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) after three months (MD = −1.12, 95% CI = −1.45, −0.78, p < 0.0001) and after six months of intervention (MD = −0.92, 95% CI = −1.13, −0.25, p = 0.002). Our findings showed that S. edule intake has a statistically significant hypoglycemic effect in older adults with T2DM or MS by decreasing serum glucose and HbA1c levels. However, the magnitude of the decrease is clinically modest, so it cannot be a substitute for pharmacological treatment. For this reason, the intake of S. edule can only be considered as a complement to pharmacological treatment.
Keywords: hypoglycemic effect; metabolic syndrome; older adults; Sechium edule; chayote; type 2 diabetes mellitus hypoglycemic effect; metabolic syndrome; older adults; Sechium edule; chayote; type 2 diabetes mellitus

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Arista-Ugalde, T.L.; Delgado-Arroyo, S.; Gavia-García, G.; Hernández-Álvarez, D.; Aguiñiga-Sánchez, I.; Santiago-Osorio, E.; Rosado-Pérez, J.; Mendoza-Núñez, V.M. Hypoglycemic Effects of Sechium edule (Chayote) in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Preclinical Trials. Foods 2025, 14, 2937. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172937

AMA Style

Arista-Ugalde TL, Delgado-Arroyo S, Gavia-García G, Hernández-Álvarez D, Aguiñiga-Sánchez I, Santiago-Osorio E, Rosado-Pérez J, Mendoza-Núñez VM. Hypoglycemic Effects of Sechium edule (Chayote) in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Preclinical Trials. Foods. 2025; 14(17):2937. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172937

Chicago/Turabian Style

Arista-Ugalde, Taide Laurita, Sebastián Delgado-Arroyo, Graciela Gavia-García, David Hernández-Álvarez, Itzen Aguiñiga-Sánchez, Edelmiro Santiago-Osorio, Juana Rosado-Pérez, and Víctor Manuel Mendoza-Núñez. 2025. "Hypoglycemic Effects of Sechium edule (Chayote) in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Preclinical Trials" Foods 14, no. 17: 2937. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172937

APA Style

Arista-Ugalde, T. L., Delgado-Arroyo, S., Gavia-García, G., Hernández-Álvarez, D., Aguiñiga-Sánchez, I., Santiago-Osorio, E., Rosado-Pérez, J., & Mendoza-Núñez, V. M. (2025). Hypoglycemic Effects of Sechium edule (Chayote) in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Preclinical Trials. Foods, 14(17), 2937. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172937

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop