Uric acid is the final product of purine metabolism and is categorized as hyperuricemia when it reaches >6.0 mg.dL-1 for women and >7.0 mg.dL-1 for men. The chayote leaves (Sechium edule) contain a high amount of flavonoid and might be used as an alternative to reduce hyperuricemia. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of chayote leaves (Sechium edule)’s flavonoid fraction on the level of uric acid and the activity of xanthine oxidase (XO) in Sprague Dawley Rats. The flavonoid fraction (FF) was obtained by extracting the chayote leaves, fractionating with n-hexane, hydrolyzing with HCl, and finally re-fractionating with ethyl acetate. Thirty male Sprague Dawley rats were induced for hyperuricemia by potassium oxonate and broth block for 21 days, and the interventions were given orally for 14 days. The rats were divided randomly into five groups: normal control (K-), hyperuricemia control (K+), hyperuricemia with FF dose 50 mg.200g-1 body weight (P1), hyperuricemia with FF dose 100 mg.200g-1 body weight (P2) and hyperuricemia with allopurinol 1.8 mg.200g-1 body weight. Xanthine oxidase activity was measured by CheKineTM Xanthine Oxidase Assay Kit, with simple colorimetry methods. The statistical analysis for XO activity was done using Kruskal-Wallis followed by Mann Whitney. The results showed that chayote leaves (Sechium edule)’s flavonoid fraction contains apigenin, apigenin o-glucoside, and luteolin. It also has antioxidant activity with 98.45% inhibition.  There was a significant reduction in xanthine oxidase activity in groups treated with FF (p <0.005). The best dose of FF affecting XO activity was 100 mg.200g-1 body weight. The combination of FF and allopurinol can be more effective in decreasing uric acid levels by inhibiting XO activity.

Purpose This paper aims to study the effect of the flavonoid fraction of chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw) leaves (FFCL) on uric acid (UA) levels, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in hyperuricemia rats. Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 Sprague–Dawley rats were divided randomly into 5 groups. A healthy control group was established. Hyperuricemia was induced by the administration of block broth and potassium oxonate for three weeks. FFCL at dosages of 50 and 100 mg/200 g BW/d or allopurinol at a dosage of 1.8 mg/200 g BW/d was given orally for 2 weeks. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate differences among groups before and after the intervention. Findings Treatment with two different doses FFCL (50 and 100 mg/200 g BW/d) and one dose of allopurinol (1.8 mg/200 g BW/d) for 2 weeks significantly reduced UA from 8.04 ± 0.23 to 3.88 ± 0.10; 8.03 ± 0.18 to 2.87 ± 0.10; 8.23 ± 0.21 to 2.53 ± 0.19 (p < 0.05), respectively. The oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde levels were reduced (p = 0.001) from 9.68 ± 0.28 to 4.06 ± 0.58; 10.01 ± 0.23 to 2.12 ± 0.09; 9.88 ± 0.21 to 2.02 ± 0.17 (p = 0.001). The inflammatory marker tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were also reduced from 26.43 ± 0.87 to 12.20 ± 0.32; 27.38 ± 0.53 to 9.60 ± 0.53; 27.55 ± 0.68 to 8.83 ± 0.21 with p = 0.001. The 100 mg/200 g BW/d FFCL decreased UA levels, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers more extensively compared to 50 mg/200 g BW/d FFCL. Research limitations/implications This study includes some limitations that may affect the generalizability of its findings. First, the flavonoid levels of FFCL were not measured. Second, other oxidative stress biomarkers (e.g. superoxide dismutase) and inflammatory biomarkers (e.g. IL-6) were not investigated. Finally, the experiments were conducted on the model animals over a relatively short period of time. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect in humans at chronic use. Practical implications Chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw) leaves are rich in flavonoids, especially apigenin and luteolin, which can improve oxidative stress and inflammation conditions caused by hyperuricemia. Social implications Hyperuricemia is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases, mostly caused by oxidative stress and inflammation in the body due to high levels of UA, one of the treatment strategies is through diet modification. Originality/value The results of this investigation imply that the administration of the flavonoid fraction of chayote leaves has significant effects on UA and oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. Further research is necessary to confirm the results.