<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> as a Source of Bioactive and Nutritional Phytochemicals

Abstract

Cacti are known for their minimum water requirement. They grow extensively in arid lands, where they were traditionally used for both human and animal food. Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly referred to as prickly pear or nopal cactus, was known as a medicinal plant, owing to its rich composition in polyphenols, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and amino acids. This makes cactus pear a promising crop for commercial food applications. Recent scientific investigations showed thatcactus products may be efficiently used as a source of foods additives, mainly fibre, colorants and antioxidants. Tablets, cookies and other forms of fibre derived from cactus cladodes are currently marketed in severalAmerican countries. This review details the main functional phytochemicals characterizing different tissues of Opuntia ficus-indica.

An overview and update on the chemical composition and potential health benefits of Opuntia ficus‐indica (L.) Miller

“…Betalains are natural water‐soluble pigments with nitrogenous cores, composed of two structural groups: the red violet betacyanins and the yellow‐orange betaxanthins (Azeredo, 2009). They are found in OFI fruit peel and pulp (Belhadj Slimen et al, 2016). Their concentration and ratio affects the variation of fruit colors between cultivars (Castellanos‐Santiago & Yahia, 2008; du Toit et al, 2018).…”

Utilization of prickly pear waste for baker's yeast production

“…This may be due to higher nitrogen content in the peel which is necessary for the development of the organism and to the presence of glucose and certain minerals, i.e. calcium, potassium, magnesium, and manganese [9,15,16,65]. In addition to that, the presence of microelements such as zinc, copper, and iron, although in trace quantities, are basic activators and modulators of various biological activities, which are significant to yeast performance and survival [66].…”

LC-MS Analysis of Phenolic Acids, Flavonoids and Betanin from Spineless <i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> Fruits

“…Numerous phytochemicals were identified: phenolic acids, flavonoids, betalains, ascorbic acid, carotenoids and tocopherols. Indeed, prickly pears contain considerable amounts of vitamins, amino acids, sterols, fatty acids, sugars and minerals [8,9]. This paper aims to identify and quantify phenolic acids, flavonoids and betalains from Tunisian spineless Opuntia ficus-indica fruits.…”