Abstract
Screw pressed prickly pear seed cakes from four Tunisian varieties were analyzed for their chemical and some functional and antioxidant properties, along with the physico-chemical characteristics of the extracted oils. This extraction yielded 40.14 to 62.95% of oil. Fatty acid (FA) composition revealed domination of linoleic and oleic acids and high content of polyunsaturated FA (∼69-74 %) with presence of ɣ-linolenic, docosadienoic and eicosapentanoic acids. Characterization of the cake seeds showed high amounts of total dietary fibers (82.41-83.54 %), important polyphenol content (∼113-180.81 mg GAE/100g dry matter (DM)) and scavenging activity (IC50: 450-763 μg/mL), good oil holding capacity (4.31g/g for Opuntia Stricta variety), and light beige colors. Amino-acid composition revealed that major components were Glutamic acid, Arginine and Aspartic acid. The data indicate that cold pressed Opuntia seeds could be a source of fiber concentrates which could be used as functional ingredients in the food industry, as well as good quality oils.
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