Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Cactus Pear (Opuntia) Seed Oils

Abstract

Seed oils from two Mexican varieties of cactus pear (green: Opuntia albicarpa and red: Opuntia ficus indica) were extracted with different solvents (hexane, ethanol, and ethyl acetate) to evaluate their antioxidant activity. The seed oil with higher antioxidant activity was selected to evaluate antimicrobial activity. The fatty acid profile was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Oil from green cactus pear seeds obtained with ethanol and ethyl acetate exhibited higher antioxidant activity (p<0.05) of 323 and 316 μmol TE/20 mg (p < 0.05), respectively, compared to red cactus pear seed oil (≈274 and 247 μmol TE/20 mg with ethyl acetate and ethanol, resp.). The oil obtained with ethanol and higher antioxidant activity was used to determine the antimicrobial activity. Both cactus pear oils produced a microbial inhibition zone in most of the microorganisms evaluated, particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae which had similar diameter (38–40 mm). The oil fatty acids profiles of both varieties were similar and exhibited a high content of linoleic acid, while two fatty acids (linolenic and behenic) found in red cactus pear were not observed in the green variety.

Prickly Pear Seed Oil by Shelf-Grown Cactus Fruits: Waste or Maste?

“…In addition, no hexane residues were observed during the HS-SPME/GC/MS analysis, indicating the absence of any contamination. In the study of Ramírez-Moreno et al [2] the oil extraction with hexane was higher for both fruit varieties of Opuntia (green and red cultivar) (11.83% and 6.89%, respectively), compared to ethanol or ethyl acetate. The use of maceration-percolation method, however, cannot be considered as the most effective procedure for the increase in seed oil yield, given the fact that varietal differentiation is the dominant parameter for the isolation of PPSO.…”

“…On the other hand, the seed oils of fruits are of great interest because these are edible oils (possessing a high degree of unsaturation) with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and biological activity [1][2][3][4]. Therefore, the oil from seeds can be potentially used by the food industry for the production of natural-based foods [5], with extended shelf-life [6,7].…”

“…These properties are of interest for the pharmaceutical and food sector. However, the yield of prickly pear seed oil may vary among cultivars, crop environmental factors/geographical origin (i.e., light, temperature, rainfall, and type of soil nutrients), or methods and solvents used for the extraction [2,13]. Based on the aforementioned, the purpose of the present study was to determine the moisture content, seed content, oil yield, volatile compounds, free fatty acids profile, in vitro antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content of prickly pear seed oil, extracted from prickly pear fruits of the wild cultivar, grown in the region of Messinia (Peloponnese).…”

Toward unfolding bioeconomy of nopal (Opuntia spp.)

“…57 The seed oil of O. ficus indica grown in Sicily is similar to that of fruits grown in Tunisia where it is nowadays a primary source of wealth in the North African country where it is produced by a dozen companies in Tunisia which buy about 2,500 tons of organic prickly pears from 800 farming companies. 58 Bottled in 10 or 20 mL small bottles, the oil is sold on international markets at >€1,000/L (the production of a liter of oil of prickly pear requires 30 kg of seeds).Like the oil obtained in Tunisia, the Sicilian oil has a higher vaccenic acid content, but it comprises significant amounts of other unsaturated fatty acids showing highly beneficial health properties.…”

Toward unfolding the bioeconomy of nopal (Opuntia spp.)

“…It also has antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties, which provide it with significant potential as a functional ingredient of nutraceutical and food‐supplement products . The oil, extracted from seeds of two Mexican varieties of cactus pear (green: O. albicarpa and red: O. ficus indica ), has an appreciable amount of unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic fatty acid being the predominant one (65–67%), and this oil has the potential to be used as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries …”