Chemical Analysis of Nutritional Content of Prickly Pads (Opuntia ficus indica) at Varied Ages in an Organic Harvest

Hernández-Urbiola, Margarita I.; Pérez-Torrero, Esther; Rodríguez‐García, Mario E.

doi:10.3390/ijerph8051287

Cited by 90 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The mineral composition of Opuntia fruits found is influenced by the specific environmental conditions and the geology of the production areas, 38 in accordance with studies conducted in samples of other botanical origin from various European areas. 39 In fact, the combination of environmental factors such as sun exposure and pedoclimatic characteristics contributes to make cultivated products unique in quality and healthiness.…”

Section: Mineral Contentssupporting

confidence: 87%

Traceability of Opuntia ficus‐indica L. Miller by ICP‐MS multi‐element profile and chemometric approach

et al. 2017

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Section: Mineral Contentssupporting

confidence: 87%

Traceability of Opuntia ficus‐indica L. Miller by ICP‐MS multi‐element profile and chemometric approach

et al. 2017

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“…The betacyanins identified in Opuntia fruits include betanidin, betanin, isobetanin, isobetanidin, neobetanin, phyllocactin, and gomphrenin I [3, 4, 24–26]. O. streptacantha (Cardona cultivar), (Rojalisa cultivar), and O. megacantha (Naranjona cultivar) contain traces of betanidin 5-O- β -sophoroside [34].…”

Section: Cladodes Chemical Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opuntia spp.: Characterization and Benefits in Chronic Diseases

Díaz

Rosa

Héliès-Toussaint

et al. 2017

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity

104

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Opuntia species have been used for centuries as food resources and in traditional folk medicine for their nutritional properties and their benefit in chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. These plants are largely distributed in America, Africa, and the Mediterranean basin. Opuntia spp. have great economic potential because they grow in arid and desert areas, and O. ficus-indica, the domesticated O. species, is used as a nutritional and pharmaceutical agent in various dietary and value-added products. Though differences in the phytochemical composition exist between wild and domesticated (O. ficus-indica) Opuntia spp., all Opuntia vegetatives (pear, roots, cladodes, seeds, and juice) exhibit beneficial properties mainly resulting from their high content in antioxidants (flavonoids, ascorbate), pigments (carotenoids, betalains), and phenolic acids. Other phytochemical components (biopeptides, soluble fibers) have been characterized and contribute to the medicinal properties of Opuntia spp. The biological properties of Opuntia spp. have been investigated on cellular and animal models and in clinical trials in humans, allowing characterization and clarification of the protective effect of Opuntia-enriched diets in chronic diseases. This review is an update on the phytochemical composition and biological properties of Opuntia spp. and their potential interest in medicine.

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“…As it is well known, nopal has antinutrimental compounds such as calcium oxalates, but Contreras-Padilla et al (14) found that its concentration decreases with maturity, as more mature nopals contain less calcium oxalate (11.4 mg, 40 days, and 4.25 mg/g, 135 days) (12–15). When nopal is dehydrated, its nutrient contents per net weight increase, as does its shelf life.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Intake of dehydrated nopal (Opuntia ficus indica) improves bone mineral density and calciuria in adult Mexican women

Aguilera-Barreiro¹,

Rivera-Márquez²,

Trujillo-Arriaga³

et al. 2013

Food & Nutrition Research

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BackgroundThe intake of dehydrated nopal (DN) at a high stage of maturity along with high calcium content could improve bone mineral density (BMD) and calciuria and thus prevent osteoporosis.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of calcium intake from a vegetable source (DN) on BMD and calciuria covering a 2-year period in menopausal and non-menopausal women with low bone mass (LBM).MethodsThe study was quasi-experimental, blinded, and randomized, and included 131 Mexican women aged 35–55. Urinary calcium/creatinine index (CCI) was determined; BMD was analyzed on lumbar spine and total hip regions. Four groups were studied: Control group (CG), women with normocalciuria and a minimum dose of DN; experimental group 1 (EG1), women with hypercalciuria and a minimum dose of DN; experimental group 2 (EG2), women with hypercalciuria, and a maximum dose of DN; and normal group (NG) for reference in BMD.ResultsAfter the first semester of treatment, calciuria levels in women from both experimental groups returned to normal, remaining constant for the rest of the treatment. The percentage difference in BMD increased in the total hip region in the CG (pre 4.5% and post 2.1%) and EG2 (pre 1.8% and post 2.5%) groups significantly in comparison to NG and EG1, which exhibited a significant decrease in their BMD. BMD increased only for the lumbar region in the EG2 group (premenopausal).ConclusionThe use of a vegetable calcium source such as nopal improves BMD in women with LBM in the total hip and lumbar spine regions principally in the premenopausal women, maintaining constant and normal calciuria levels.

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Chemical Analysis of Nutritional Content of Prickly Pads (Opuntia ficus indica) at Varied Ages in an Organic Harvest

Cited by 90 publications

References 17 publications

Traceability of Opuntia ficus‐indica L. Miller by ICP‐MS multi‐element profile and chemometric approach

Traceability of Opuntia ficus‐indica L. Miller by ICP‐MS multi‐element profile and chemometric approach

Opuntia spp.: Characterization and Benefits in Chronic Diseases

Intake of dehydrated nopal (Opuntia ficus indica) improves bone mineral density and calciuria in adult Mexican women

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