Influence of age on molecular characteristics and rheological behavior of nopal mucilage

Abstract

The Opuntia genus of the cactus family is cultivated in different countries for alimentary and industrial purposes. This type of cactus is composed of flat joints with paddle-like cladodes or nopals, which are edible and contain multiple channels or conduits in its structure, these are filled with a branched high molecular weight polysaccharide known as mucilage (Trachtenberg & Mayer, 1981). The mucilage from nopal is constituted by a large variety of neutral sugars including fructose, glucose, d-xylose, l-rhamnose, l-arabinose, and d-galactose, among others, as well as by some acid sugars such as galacturonic, glucuronic, and uronic acids (Forni et al., 1994;McGarvie & Parolis, 1979, 1981aTrachtenberg & Mayer, 1981). The composition of sugars in the mucilage depends on certain factors such as the variety of the cladodes and their age (Ribeiro et al., 2010), as well as on the type and pH of the soil (McGarvie & Parolis,

Egyptian Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) Residues: Recovery and Characterization of Fresh Mucilage from Cladodes

“…The mucilage content in the cladodes is more than in the other plant parts. Young cladodes have a higher content of water, proteins, and phenolic compounds than mature ones, which instead contain more ashes and fibers [14,15]. OFI mucilage is a hetero-polysaccharide of high molecular weight which mainly comprises six sugars (arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose, glucose, and galacturonic acid) [14][15][16].…”

“…Young cladodes have a higher content of water, proteins, and phenolic compounds than mature ones, which instead contain more ashes and fibers [14,15]. OFI mucilage is a hetero-polysaccharide of high molecular weight which mainly comprises six sugars (arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose, glucose, and galacturonic acid) [14][15][16]. It has been found that the chemical composition and properties of OFI mucilage can change as a function of the age of the cladode, growing, climate conditions, and extraction methodologies [17][18][19].…”

Effect of pH on the Mechanical Properties of Single-Biopolymer Mucilage (Opuntia ficus-indica), Pectin and Alginate Films: Development and Mechanical Characterisation

“…Multiple researchers have studied the chemical composition of Opuntia spp. mucilage precipitates, often reporting considerable variations thereof [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Although variations in sugar composition and consequential molecular weight have been reported, mucilage molecules are considered to be quite large.…”

“…This long-chain polymer is represented by varying proportions of D-galacturonic acid and neutral sugars of L-arabinose, D-galactose, L-rhamnose, and D-xylose. The primary mucilage structure is said to be comprised of a linear core chain of repeating (1→4) D-galacturonic acid and (1→2) L-rhamnose [ 20 , 21 ].…”

“…The galactose side chains can further branch into either arabinose or xylose. Native mucilage chemical composition can vary considerably, depending on the efficacy and type of extraction method used [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”