Foods from the Mayan milpa: proposal for the metabolic syndrome management

The growing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) is a major public health issue. The traditional Maya milpa diet (MayDiet) offers a promising alternative to the Mediterranean diet (MetDiet) due to its similar therapeutic benefits. This study evaluated 24 MayDiet foods (fruits, vegetables, tubers, leaves and seeds) to assess their bioactive compounds (BC) and their effects on key therapeutic targets for MS: antidiabetic, antihypertensive and antilipidemic activities. Multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and machine learning were used to analyze the results.

The studied foods exhibited high concentrations of BC. The ranges were 7.44-123.74 μg gallic acid equivalents mg^-1 for total phenols, 2.72-16.13 μg catechin mg^-1 for total flavonoids, 8.20-142.93 μg naringenin mg^-1 for flavanones and dihydroflavonols, 0.12-9.40 μg quillaja saponin mg^-1 for total saponins, 9.71-75.83 μg tannic acid mg^-1 for hydrolysable tannins and 3.60 μg atropine mg^-1 for total alkaloids. Mentha spicata exhibited the highest concentrations of phenols, flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids, while Cucumis sativus led in flavanones and dihydroflavonols, and Sechium edule in saponins. Multivariate ANOVA showed Averrhoa carambola, Capsicum chinense, Beta vulgaris, Mentha spicata and Bixa orellana as the most potent foods against MS. Machine learning analysis highlighted leaves and seeds as the most potent food groups, with the highest biological potential due to their high flavonoid content.

MayDiet, due to its diversity of BC-rich foods and biological activities, suggests therapeutic benefits comparable to MetDiet. Therefore, it represents a promising approach against MS. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.