Chemical, Nutritional, and Antihyperglycemic Studies on Sonora Gum

The Rarámuri Indigenous people of Chihuahua, Mexico, use the gum of Tachardiella fulgens ("arí" or Sonora gum) as a medicinal agent and food. Thus, this work established the chemical composition, nutritional value, potential toxicity, and antihyperglycemic action of Sonora gum. Using spectroscopic, spectrometric, and chromatographic methods including UHPLC-MS analysis, it was demonstrated that arí contains anthraquinones (laccaic acids A, B, and E, xantholaccaic acid B, emodin, and erythrolaccin), farnesol, and nerolidol derivatives including (2Z,6E,10E)-farnesol-12-oic acid (1), a new natural product, crocinervolide, and (6E,10E,3S)-nerolidol-12-oic acid. The volatilome, determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with GC-MS analysis, was characterized by lilac derivatives, fatty acids, and cedrene alcohols. Using official AOAC and the US Department of Agriculture methods, the proximal analysis revealed that arí contains high dietary fiber and vitamins B2 and B3. In addition, an aqueous extract of arí significantly reduced the postprandial peak at the highest dose tested (316 mg/kg) in healthy and hyperglycemic mice during an oral glucose tolerance test, meaning that arí increases glucose utilization in the hyperglycemic condition. According to the Lorke method, the LD₅₀ of the extract was estimated to be above 5 g/kg, indicating that the extract is practically nontoxic. This work represents the first comprehensive study of the chemical, pharmacological, and nutritional aspects of arí, a valuable Mexican food. The findings reveal that arí is a source of bioactive specialized metabolites, including anthraquinones and sesquiterpenoid acids, lilac aldehydes, fatty acids, and micro- and macronutrients. Thus, the use of arí as both food and medicine has a rational basis and enhances knowledge of Mexican ancestral foods and medicine.