Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to determine the optimal ultrasound conditions (amplitude level and time) for the extraction of cactus pear seed oil with the highest antioxidant activity using a closed system. Seed oil was analyzed for yield, antioxidant activity by ABTS and DPPH, and antimicrobial activity. Conventional extraction methods were assessed for comparison. Amplitude level significantly affected antioxidant activity in linear terms (p< 0.0001 DPPH andp< 0.001 ABTS, resp.) so, at lower amplitudes, the higher antioxidant activity was achieved. The optimum ultrasound extraction conditions were of 78% amplitude for 10 min and yielded antioxidant activity values of 66.25 mg AAE/100 g and 289 µmol TE/100 g for ABTS and DPPH, respectively. Compared with conventional extraction methods, ultrasound exhibited lower oil yield and antioxidant activity but had the potential to achieve comparable results if multiple ultrasound extractions are performed in the time needed by conventional methods. Seed oils showed similar antimicrobial activity despite the extraction method and were more effective againstEscherichia coli. The results demonstrated that ultrasound can be an alternative extraction method of seed oils from fruits such as cactus pear.
Highlights
Cactus pear fruit (Opuntia ficus indica) is common in arid and semiarid regions around the world [1]
Seed oils have been used as natural agents for food preservation [13], and many have exhibited antimicrobial and antioxidant activity; some of these oils are from pumpkin [14], apple [15], black cumin [16], and basil [17] among other seeds
The results suggest that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was more resistant than Escherichia coli, probably due to the lipopolysaccharides present in the outer membrane that restrict the diffusion of compounds making it less permeable [45]
Summary
Cactus pear fruit (Opuntia ficus indica) is common in arid and semiarid regions around the world [1]. According to several studies cactus pear fruit has bioactive compounds [4, 5] with high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity [6, 7]. Cactus pear seeds from Opuntia dillenii have a high antioxidant activity derived from bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids [18]. Some polyunsaturated fatty acids have been identified in seeds from Opuntia ficus indica [19, 20] implying that these seeds may have high antioxidant activity
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