Abstract
Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica), is a Cactaceae plant with a great economic relevance in the world. Nowadays, nopal cactus industry is active and rapidly expanding.In fact, the seeds oil sector is the best exploitation due to the high price of this oil. Moisture content, oxidative stability, quality index, total phenol, flavonoids, chlorophyll and carotenoid contentof prickly pear seed oil were analyzed.The seeds used in this study were provided by a cooperative DAR ATABIAA located in Chouihia (Eastern region of Morocco) during the harvesting season 2020. The samples were obtained from wild trees grown in this region. Results showed that moisture content of prickly pear seeds was 9.12%, whereas the acidity and peroxide index value was 1.11% and 4.44 meq O2/kg respectively, andan oxidative stabilityof 17.31 hours. The total phenolic and the flavonoid content values for theseseed oilsare 260.07 mg/kg and 65.99 mg/kg, respectively. Furthermore, the results show a carotenoid contentof 0.61 mg/kg and total chlorophyll of 1.52 mg/kg.
Highlights
Oxidative stability, quality index, total phenol, flavonoids, chlorophyll and carotenoid contentof prickly pear seed oil were analyzed.The seeds used in this study were provided by a cooperative DAR ATABIAA located in Chouihia (Eastern region of Morocco) during the harvesting season 2020
Pear seeds used in this study were extracted from the fruits provided by the cooperative DAR ATABIAAobtained from wild trees locatedin rural zone of Chouihia (Berkane Province) eastern Morocco.The fruits were peeled by hand, and the pulps were scraped from the seeds with multiple washes of water
In comparison with the results found in the literature, our finding found slightly higher compared to that of Bahorun, Gressier [19], Karabagias, Karabagias [4], BENATTIA [20], and El Mannoubi, Barrek [9], which are 6.0, 6.0, 6.43, and 6.9 g/100 g respectively.Our study shows a slightly high humidity, which may be due to the climatic conditions of the eastern region, which are more favourable in comparison with the arid climate.the high moisture content probably gives information about the water absorption capacity of the wild cultivar and the soil conditions
Summary
Pear (Opuntiaficus indica),a member of the Cactaceae family, originally fromAmerican continent more exactly from the south of this continent.Grows abundantly in arid and semi-aridregions around the world, including Mediterranean countries, South Africa, Middle East, India, Australia and other areas[1] and grows everywhere in Morocco[2].Prickly pear speciesare well-adapted to arid lands and to a variety of climates, theygrow wild in areas with restrictedaccess to water, limiting the development of a lot of succulent food plants[2].On one side, this plant arecultivated in dry regions as an important nutrient and food source, anditcan alsobe used as natural wind break barrier, helping to protect the soil from the spread of the desert and controlling erosion[2].Prickly pears are considered to be a versatile plant thatcan be cultivated and grown for usein several field, including food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries[2]. The oil content and composition are influenced by the environmental and genetic factors such as soil, cultivar and geographical area[12].Moisture content, oxidative stability, quality index, and pigments contentof Opuntia ficusindicaseed oil from Chouihia region of eastern Morocco were investigated in this study. These chemical properties will provide further information on the valorization of seeds in various fields, such as the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.
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