Opuntia ficus-indica the key plant in climate change: characteristics, cultivation and uses

The aim of the study was to evaluate the replacement of alfalfa hay with Leucaena leucocephala leaves and prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) as an alternative forage, on gas and methane production, ruminal fermentation patterns and total amount of methanogens during in vitro fermentation. Four treatments were evaluated: (T1) alfalfa hay + concentrate (50 : 50%, DM); (T2) alfalfa hay + Leucaena leaves + concentrate (30 : 20 : 50%, DM); (T3) alfalfa hay + prickly pear + concentrate (30 : 20 : 50%, DM) and (T4) alfalfa hay + Leucaena leaves + prickly pear + concentrate (30 : 10 : 10 : 50%, DM). The higher gas production from of soluble fraction (A) and rate gas production (Kd) values, ammonia-N (NH3-N) concentrations and propionate were found in T1 and lower in T2 (p<0.05). Nevertheless, the inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala in the diet decreased the methane production and did not affect the total of methanogens. Results showed that the replacement of alfalfa hay by Leucaena leucocephala and Opuntia ficus-indica in a diet do not affect the main variables of in vitro gas production, ruminal fermentation patterns and methanogenic microorganisms populations.

Phytobeozar large bowel obstruction – The prickly pear (A single centre experience and case series report)

Introduction: Nowadays, consumers demand for foods that contain compounds with enhanced nutritional quality. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill belongs to the Cactaceae family and is a tropical or subtropical plant that grows wild in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. However, its nutritional and bioactive potential remains to be exploited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional composition and biological activity of O. ficus-indica fruit pulp. Materials and methods: In 2017, the prickly pears were obtained at Herdade de Peliteiros (Silveiras, Montemor-o-Novo, Évora). Nutritional composition was determined according to the methods described by Albuquerque et al. (2016) [1]. The energy value and available carbohydrates were calculated [2,3]. Antioxidant activity of prickly pear was determined using two different methods (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH•) and ferric reduction power (FRAP)) [4]. Moreover, total phenolic and total flavonoids contents were also assessed by spectrophotometric methodologies [4]. Results: With the results obtained, it was possible to verify that water is the main constituent of the pulp (83%), the energy value was 59 kcal/245 kJ per 100 g of edible portion and total dietary fibre was 4.8 g/100 g of edible portion. The total phenolics content for the analysed prickly pear pulp was 19.8 ± 0.78 mg gallic acid equivalents/g, while the total flavonoid content was 1.70 ± 0.08 mg epicatechin equivalents/g. Regarding the antioxidant activity evaluation, the results obtained for the two different analytical methods applied, were 17.12 ± 0.71 mg/mL and 46.6 ± 1.99 mg Trolox eq./g for DPPH• and FRAP assays, respectively. Discussion and conclusions: Based on the results obtained for the analysed prickly pear pulp, it is possible to conclude that it is a good source of bioactive compounds and could contribute to the intake of natural antioxidants. It is a fruit with nutritional interest and its use in human diet can bring potential health benefits to consumers.

Opuntia ficus-indica Haw (Cactaceae) is a xerophilous plant, developing in arid and semi-arid climates popularly known as prickly pear, fig tree or nopal. This study aimed to determine the beneficial effects of phytochemicals present in Opuntia ficus-indica. To this end, a literature review was carried out in the Google Scholar® and PubMed databases using the health descriptors: Opuntia ficus-indica, prickly pear and nopal, until 2020. As an inclusion criterion, the articles were analyzed based on the quality of the hypothesis / objective description; quality of the description of the outcome to be studied; characterization of the included sample; quality of the description and discussion of the main photochemical compounds found in Opuntia ficus-indica related to the benefits for human health; quality of the description of the study's main findings. Cladodes are the most used part of the plant, where most of the important beneficial properties that are used for human health and disease prevention are concentrated. In view of what is available in the literature, it is concluded that it is a plant that has not been explored much, therefore, more studies are needed for new discoveries to be made about the biological activities of the plant under study.

INTRODUCTION The prickly pear cactus plant belongs to the family Cactaceae, subfamily Opuntioideae, and is a xetrophyte producing about 200–300 species, mainly growing in arid (less than 250 mm annual precipitation) and semi-arid (250–450 mm annual precipitation) zones. The crop is produced and consumed in several countries. It is native to North America, and densely produced in the desert zones of the southern United States, north-central Mexico and Peru. From there it has been taken to several other parts of the world including Africa and Europe. The plants thrive well in subtropical, semi-arid climates. It is adapted to grow and produce under low water regimes and poor soils (Nobel 1994). As a CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) plant, Opuntia spp. is characterized by high water use efficiency of 4–10 mmol CO 2 per mol H 2 O compared to C 3 – and C 4 – plants, with efficiencies of 1.0–1.5 mmol and 2–3 mmol CO 2 per mol H 2 O, respectively. It exhibits the highest production rate in terms of above-ground biomass of all known crop plants, and the biomass production was found to increase upon the increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations (thus counter-acting the greenhouse effect) (Nobel 1991; Nobel & Israel 1994; Goldstein et al. 1991). Because of its high adaptability and multiple uses, it has been dispersed from its native habitats in North America to other regions in the world (Barbera 1995). Cactus fruit and cladodes (Figures 13.1 and 13.2) can be readily and abundantly produced under high temperature and little water, conditions unfavourable for the production of many other crops. Cactus plants serve numerous purposes; such as sources for fruit and vegetables, for medicinal and cosmetic purposes, as forage, for building materials, as source for natural colours. However, many of these uses are still very restricted to a very few countries, and in light of global desertification and declining water sources, Opuntia spp. is gaining importance as an effective source of food including as vegetable (Flores 1995). Internationally, about 100 000 ha are devoted to Opuntia fruit and cladode commercial production; however, more than 3 million hectares of Opuntias are grown in native habitats (Barbera 1995). In Mexico over 50 000 ha of prickly pear cactus are cultivated commercially, of which over 10 000 ha are devoted to the production of cladodes, with an annual production of about 600 000 metric tons per annum. Mexico is the only country planting cladodes for commercial use as a vegetable. Opuntia ficus-indica is cultivated in more than 20 countries (Nobel 1988). Nopalea cochenillifera is primarily cultivated in southern California and Texas, and the cladodes of this species are softer, devoid of spines, contain less mucilage, and are greener than those of Opuntia spp. (Mizrahi et al. 1997). The Opuntia ficusindica (L.) Mill. species has gradually attained economic importance in Sicilian agriculture (Galati et al. 2002). Similarly its importance has grown in northern Mexico (Borrego-Escalante et al. 1990), the Mediterranean basin (Le Houerou 1996a), the arid highlands of western Asia (Le Houerou 1996b) and the south-western United States (Parish & Felker, 1997). Cold hardiness of Opuntia spp. clones used for fruit, forage or vegetable production have been reported by Le Houerou (1971), Russell and Felker (1987), Guevara et al. (1999, 2000), Gregory et al. (1993)

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill, commonly called prickly pear or nopal cactus, belongs to the Cactaceae family. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill is a dicotyledonous angiosperm plant, known, since the dawn of time, for its ability to thrive under environments recognized as stressful for most plant species. Opuntia ficus-indica has been used for a long time as diet, fodder, and beverage for both humans and animals, as well as to prevent soil erosion and to combat desertification. Opuntia ficus-indica has traditionally marked the folk medicine, owing to its therapeutic properties to a plethora of bioactive molecules, involving organic acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, betalains, carotenoids, vitamins, biothiols, taurine, saponins, fatty acids, and phytosterols. The content of these bioactive molecules varies within cladodes, fruits or prickly pears, peels, seeds, and flowers. Whereas pears were commonly considered as noble fruits, peels have been arisen in the last decades as a promising by-product for both animals and humans health and nutrition. Nowadays, there is compelling evidence that Opuntia cacti are functional foods, source of nutrients, and bioactive molecules endowed with high antioxidant potential, and a large specter of biological, medicinal, and pharmacological applications. Indeed, Opuntia ficus-indica is highlighted as an excellent source of natural pigments, having promising applications in food industry and cosmetic. The present chapter aims to stressing the major classes of bioactive phytochemicals from Opuntia ficus-indica, with a deep understanding of the basis of their antioxidant activities, as well as an overview of their biological and medicinal properties.KeywordsAntioxidant activityBioactive moleculeCactus pearCladodeNopal Opuntia ficus-indica

Postharvest quality of peeled prickly pear fruit treated with acetic acid and chitosan

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) powderand Lactobacillus supplements on calf growth and faecal pathogen counts. Prickly pear leaves were harvested, sun-dried for 14 days, and oven-dried at 105 °C, before grinding into a powder. Twenty-four female Holstein dairy calves (39.03 ± 0.75 kg live weight) were randomly assigned to each of the four treatment groups. The four treatments were: T1: the control group, calves fed a basal diet (milk plus calf meal), without supplementation; T2: calves fed the basal diet plus Lactobacillus at 5 g/day; T3: calves fed the basal diet plus prickly pear powder at 2.5 g/day; and T4: calves fed the basal diet plus prickly pear powder at 5 g/day. These treatments were applied from four days of age until weaning. Calf starter feed and clean water were provided ad libitum for the entire study period. The dietary treatments affected the feed dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, average daily gain, weaning weight, faecal total coliform count, faecal Escherichia coli count, and faecal Enterobacteriaceae count, compared to the control group. It was concluded that the dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus or prickly pear powder improves feed efficiency and body weight gain, as well as reducing faecal pathogen counts in Holstein dairy calves.

Phenolic compounds in prickly pear [Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.] are known to contribute to the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the prickly pear. The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidants and in vitro antimicrobial potential in the hydroethanolic extracts of different parts (fruit, cladode, and pulp) of prickly pear. Different polyphenolic compounds were analyzed by using high‐performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that cladode possessed a higher quantity of phenolics compared with that observed in fruit and pulp. The most important phenolic compound in high quantity was gallic acid (66.19 μg/g) in cladode. The 100% aqueous extract of cladode exhibited the highest antioxidant (92%) and antimicrobial activities against Salmonella typhi (3.40 mg/ml), Helicobacter pylori (1.37 mg/ml), Escherichia coli (1.41 mg/ml), and Staphylococcus aureus (1.41 mg/ml). Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that antioxidant activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) responses had a significant negative correlation with each other. Overall, the current results provided basic data for choosing prickly pear cladode with high antioxidant capacity for the development and consumption of antioxidant‐based alternative medicines and value addition of formulated foods.

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.

A preliminary characterization of some pectins from quince fruit ( Cydonia oblonga Mill.) and prickly pear ( Opuntia ficus indica) peel

The Opuntia ficus-indica offers a range of ecosystem services. Its provisioning services include food for humans, feed for livestock, and medicines, as well as fuelwood and feedstock for bioenergy. As for supporting ecosystem services, this cactus benefits biodiversity by providing wildlife with food, pollen, habitat, and shelter. Also, it can be used for phytoremediation of contaminated soil and water. In terms of regulating services, it can be used to control soil erosion, it provides raw material for mulching and composting, it has fire breaking properties, and it sequesters carbon. It also provides cultural services; it is used as an ornamental plant, acts as a live fence, and can be used to delineate boundaries between adjacent plots. Also, in certain occasions, the species’ durability has made it a symbol of hope for refugees wishing to return to their expropriated lands. These ecosystem services can be fulfilled as long as the prickly pear is cultivated in home-gardens or in sustainable agroforestry and silvopasture systems. However, establishment of commercial monoculture plantations may accelerate environmental degradation. Further, the species invasiveness may lead to land infestation. The potential risks to natural ecosystems necessitate careful planting of prickly pears in the future, to ensure environmental sustainability.

ABSTRACTThe firmness of green prickly pear fruits (Opuntia ficus indica) impregnated with a sucrose isotonic solution (IS) was evaluated. Whole fresh‐peeled prickly pears were processed under different combinations of vacuum pressure (pv), vacuum application time (tv) and relaxation time (tr). Puncture test was applied to impregnated and fresh whole prickly pears. The maximum force (Fmax), average force (Fav) and the work (Wp) required to puncture 3 cm in the fruits were measured. Second order models provided good fits to the experimental data ofFmax(R2 = 0.754),Fav(R2 = 0.788) andWp(R2 = 0.792). Impregnation factorspv,tr,tv–trsignificantly affected firmness parameters (P ≤ 0.05). Firmness parameters of fresh‐peeled prickly pear wereFmax = 10.934 ± 1.571 N,Fav = 2.152 ± 0.270 N andWp = 5.930 × 10−2 ± 0.0054 Nm. Firmness reduction of impregnated fruits was linked to the IS impregnation levels and deformation‐relaxation phenomena.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe aim of this study was to assess the influence of impregnation conditions on firmness of whole peeled prickly pear, as excessive softening is the main factor limiting consumer acceptability. This study helps to identify the better impregnation conditions for maintaining firmness. This information could be useful for the application of vacuum impregnation in the development of fruits and vegetables products, in which the impregnating solution is used as a carrier of active agents. To date, very limited studies have been conducted in whole fruits involving only peeling and impregnation operations.

Extraction and determination of polyphenols and betalain pigments in the Moroccan Prickly pear fruits (Opuntia ficus indica)

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to determine the impacts arising from the substitution of prickly pear fruits (Opuntia ficus indica) peels at different levels (0, 5, 10, and 15%) with yellow corn grain in broiler diets and meat quality. In this study, 200 male chick of commercial Cobb breed were used to study the effect of partially replacing of yellow corn grain (YC) with prickly pear fruits peel powder (PPP). Chicks were divided into four treatments (50 birds each), each treatment contained 5 replicates of 10 birds each. The experimental treatments were the following: 1—control diet (R1). 2—diet containing 5% pp (R2). 3—diet containing 10% pp (R3), and 4—diet containing 15% pp (R4). Feeding trails extending to 6 weeks.ResultsObtained results illustrated that feed intake, live body weight, feed conversion ratio of broiler fed diet containing PPP were better (P < 0.05) than that of control. Broilers fed diet containing 5, 10, and 15% PPP were heavier (P < 0.05) by 1.60, 3.68, and 5.78%, respectively, over those fed the control diet. Inoculation of diets containing PPP achieved high (P < 0.05) carcasses weight and dressing% compared with control. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were detected for serum total protein, and total globulin of blood serum broiler as feeding inclusion levels of tested diets. Broiler fed diets contained 15% achieved higher degrees of taste, color, odor (aroma), texture, and overall acceptability. Highest (P < 0.05) biological value, true-digestibility and net protein utilization of broiler meat-fed PPP than other groups of control which was expected, as casein is a protein source with optimal digestibility.ConclusionsIt could be concluded that feeding commercial Cobb chicken on diets containing 15% prickly pear peel (Opuntia ficus indica) peel substituted with yellow corn grain, resulted in superior nutrition status and better daily gain, feed conversion ratio, economical efficiency, and better meat quality, as compared with other groups could be recommended.