Extraction and Characterization of Mucilage From Wild Species of Opuntia

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this work was to characterize the mucilage extracted from six species of Opuntia. The species studied were as follows: O. atropes, O. tomentosa, O. hyptiacantha, O. streptacantha y O. joconostle and O. ficus‐indica. The first step was to find the best extraction conditions to obtain an unaltered chemical structure of mucilage. The mucilages were characterized using high‐performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. The optimal conditions employed to obtain the mucilage were: ratio of cladodes : ethanol solution at 50% of 1:1 (w/v), temperature of 22C and precipitation of mucilage with a solution of ethanol 96%, at a ratio of 1:4 (v/v). Mucilage from all species studied had a high content of soluble dietary fiber, ranging from 51.79 to 67.51%. In decreasing order, sugars found in the mucilages were: L‐arabinose (26.83–35.36%), D‐galactose (21.59–45.48%), D‐xylose (12.23–17.05%), uronic acids (5.59–13.91%), D‐glucose (5.18–16.21%) and L‐rhamnose (1.41–5.40%).Practical ApplicationsThis research presents an optimization method for the extraction of mucilage five wild species of cactus based on temperature and time of extraction and solvent ratio: sample used. Mucilages were characterized chemically and by chromatographic and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques and were compared with the species mucilage Opuntia ficus‐indica, the species most commercially studied. The mucilage obtained can be used for commercial purposes as additives in the food industry.