Characterization of Bioactive Compounds of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Seeds from Spanish Cultivars

Abstract

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. is the Cactaceae plant with the greatest economic relevance in the world. It can be used for medicinal purposes, animal nutrition, production of biofuels and phytoremediation of soils. Due to its high content of bioactive compounds, the prickly pear has antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. The aim of this study was to determine the polyphenolic, fatty acid and amino acid profile and characterize the antioxidant capacity of seeds of seven Spanish prickly pear cultivars. A total of 21 metabolites, mainly phenolic acids and flavonols, were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography photodiode detector quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS). Significant differences were found in the phenolic concentrations of the investigated varieties. The highest amount of phenolic compounds (266.67 mg/kg dry matter) were found in the “Nopal espinoso” variety, while the “Fresa” variety was characterized by the lowest content (34.07 mg/kg DM) of these compounds. In vitro antioxidant capacity was positively correlated with the amount of polyphenols. The amino acid composition of protein contained in prickly pear seeds was influenced by the variety. Glutamic acid was the predominant amino acid followed by arginine, aspartic acid and leucine, independent of prickly pear variety. Overall, 13 different fatty acids were identified and assessed in prickly pear seeds. The dominant fatty acid was linoleic acid, with content varying between 57.72% “Nopal ovalado” and 63.11% “Nopal espinoso”.

Characterization, Stability, and Bioaccessibility of Betalain and Phenolic Compounds from Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii Fruits and Products of Their Industrialization

“…In addition, almost all of the phenolic acids found in Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii fruit samples in the present study were previously reported for different authors in Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes [24], fruit juices [25], and seeds [26].…”

Prickly Pear Seed Oil Extraction, Chemical Characterization and Potential Health Benefits

“…In addition, oil yield varies depending on prickly pear varieties and locations. Kolniak-Ostek et al [ 23 ] found that the PPSO yield extracted from seeds of seven Spanish prickly pear cultivars, with diethyl ether using Soxhlet apparatus for 3 h, varied from 2.61% for “Nalle” to 7.69% for “Nopal ovalado”. In this line, the PPSO yield was found to be 5.4–9.9 g/100 g when the oil was extracted from 17 different origins in Morocco with n -hexane for 8 h using the Soxhlet apparatus [ 4 ].…”

“…Moreover, differences were found in the oil composition of the PPSO derived from various places. In this context, the fatty acids analysis of PPSO extracted from seven Spanish prickly pear cultivars showed differences between fatty acid content in different varieties, which were attributed to genetic factors [ 23 ]. The major fatty acid was linoleic (57.72–63.11%), followed by oleic acid (19.37–21.79%), linolenic acid (0.23–1.10%), palmitic acid (12.47–15.06%) and stearic acid (2.56–4.10%).…”

“…Moreover, recently, the authors of [ 23 ] reported on the determination of polyphenolic compounds from seeds of seven Spanish prickly pear cultivars, indicating that total phenolic compounds were significantly different depending on the seed varieties and ranged from 34.07 to 266.67 mg/kg. A total of 21 metabolites were also identified from the PPSO, where phenolic compounds and flavonols were the two major classes identified.…”

“…A total of 21 metabolites were also identified from the PPSO, where phenolic compounds and flavonols were the two major classes identified. In addition, the study of [ 23 ] reported the effect of seed roasting on the identified compounds, where some phenolic compounds were increased after a roasting process that was carried out at 110 °C at different times (10–40 min).…”