Cactus Research Articles

Characterization and anti-aging effects of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller extracts in a D-galactose-induced skin aging model.

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller (OFI), belonging to the family Cactaceae, is widely cultivated not only for its delicious fruits but also for its health-promoting effects, which enhance the role of OFI as a potential functional food. In this study, the in vitro collagenase and elastase enzyme inhibitory effects of extracts from different parts of OFI were evaluated. The most promising extracts were formulated as creams at two concentrations (3 and 5%) to investigate their effects on a D-galactose (D-gal)-induced skin-aging mouse model. The ethanolic extracts of the peel and cladodes exhibited the highest enzyme inhibitory effects. Cream made from the extract of OFI peel (OP) (5%) and cream from OFI cladodes extract (OC) (5%) significantly decreased the macroscopic aging of skin scores. Only a higher concentration (5%) of OC showed the normalization of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) skin levels and achieved significant improvements as compared to the vitamin E group. Both OC and OP (5%) showed complete restoration of the normal skin structure and nearly normal collagen fibres upon histopathological examination. The Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-TOF-MS) metabolite profiles revealed the presence of organic acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, betalains, and fatty acids. Flavonoids were the predominant phytochemical class (23 and 22 compounds), followed by phenolic acids (14 and 17 compounds) in the ethanolic extracts from the peel and cladodes, respectively. The anti-skin-aging effects could be attributed to the synergism of different phytochemicals in both extracts. From these findings, the OFI peel and cladodes as agro-waste products are good candidates for anti-skin-aging phytocosmetics.

Extracción convencional y no convencional de compuestos funcionales de frutos de jiotilla (Escontria chiotilla) y evaluación de su actividad antioxidante

There is a growing interest in obtaining bioactive compounds from underexplored plant organisms such as jiotilla (Escontria chiotilla), a species of the Cactaceae family whose fruit is a source of betalains and phenolic compounds. Therefore, it is relevant to establish an extraction methodology that allows a higher yield of bioactive compounds and greater functional activity to be obtained. In this study, the conventional extraction process was optimized to obtain betalains, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity from jiotilla extracts and results were compared with those obtained by ultrasound-assisted and ultrasound-microwave extraction. Optimum conditions for conventional extraction of betalains (90.56 ± 0.88 mg/100 g fresh weight (gfw)) and phenolic compounds (129.12 ± 14.21 mg/100 gfw) were 37.5% v/v ethanol, an m : v ratio of 1 : 20, and 40 min maceration with shaking. Ultrasound-assisted extraction increased the phenolic compound content of the extract by 34.01% and its antioxidant activity by 25.68%, a positive correlation being found between these parameters. Ultrasound-microwave extraction did not improve extraction yields compared to the other two technologies. These results show that the extraction method affects the content of functional compounds and antioxidant activity and pinpoint that jiotilla fruits can be a viable alternative for extraction of betalains and phenolic compounds.

Solid-State Fermentation of Steam-Exploded Opuntia ficus-indica Cladodes Using Trichoderma reesei CCT-2768 for the Production of Cellulolytic Enzymes.

The sustainable development of the drylands, i.e., regions with limited availability of water, depends on the exploitation of the few biomass types that can thrive in such conditions, such as the Opuntia ficus-indica, a plant of the Cactaceae family. In the present study, the cladodes of O. ficus-indica were used as a substrate by the fungus Trichoderma reesei CCT-2768 for the production of cellulolytic enzymes through solid-state fermentation. Firstly, the extraction of the mucilage, soluble components of industrial interest, was evaluated. Temperature, water-to-biomass ratio, and time of mixture were varied using an experimental design and impacted, especially, the pectin removal. Then, the lignocellulosic residue was used for the production of enzymes; the effect of the water activity, biomass pretreatment, mineral supplementation, temperature, and inoculum size on the enzymatic production were investigated using two sets of experimental designs. The steam explosion pretreatment exposed the fiber to the microbial action and boosted the enzyme production, provided that the medium was supplemented with salts. This combination has improved the production of xylanase, CMCase, FPase, and polygalacturonase by 27, 62, 98, and 185%, respectively. The temperature of 35°C was determined as the optimal for the production of FPase, xylanase, and polygalacturonase, while no effect was observed on the production of CMCase and β-glucosidase. The optimization of the enzymatic production performed in this study can potentially provide a new application for the Opuntia biomass and improve the sustainable development of the drylands.

Chemical Composition, Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antidiabetic Activities of Ethanolic Extracts of Opuntia dillenii Fruits Collected from Morocco

Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. belongs to the Cactaceae family and is native to the arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and the southern United States. O. dillenii are now used as medicinal plants in various countries. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of ethanolic extracts obtained from seeds, juice, and peel of O. dillenii fruits collected from Morocco, and we evaluated their antibacterial, antifungal, and antidiabetic activities. Phytochemical screening revealed high quantities of polyphenols (193.73 ± 81.44 to 341.12 ± 78.90 gallic acid eq [g/100 g dry weight]) in the extracts. The major phenolic compounds determined by HPLC were gallic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid. Regarding flavonoids, quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucoside and kaempferol were the predominant molecules. Juice extracts showed weak to moderate antibacterial activity against the bacteria species Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella braenderup. All tested extracts displayed a significant inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities in vitro, with the peel extracts showing the greatest inhibitory effects. Together, these findings suggest that O. dillenii fruits are a promising source for the isolation of novel compounds with antibacterial or antidiabetic activities. For the most abundant phytochemicals identified in O. dillenii peel ethanolic extract, molecular docking simulations against human pancreatic α-amylase enzyme were performed. These indicated the presence of bioactive compounds in the extract with a better potential to decrease the enzyme activity than the commercial drug acarbose.

Phytochemical Screening and Bioactivities of Cactaceae Family Members Endemic to Mexico.

Mexico is a center of diversification for the Cactaceae family, with 69% of the species recorded as endemic. Certain members of the Cactaceae family have been chemically analyzed to relate their medicinal use with their phytochemistry. Here, the phytochemistry and bioactivity of ethanol extracts of Ferocactus echidne, F. latispinus, and Mammillaria geminispina were evaluated. A preliminary phytochemical analysis was performed, detecting the presence of saponins, tannins, cardiotonic glycosides, and sesquiterpene lactones. The presence of nicotinic acid in F. echidne and F. latispinus was identified by GC-MS. Other compounds found in the extracts of these three species were gentisic acid, diosmetin, chlorogenic acid, N-methyltyramide, and hordenine. The antioxidant activity was estimated with the DPPH free radical scavenging test. To determine the toxicity of the extracts, the in vivo model of Artemia spp. was used. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the extract was tested on C6, HaCaT, THP-1, and U937 cell lines, while the inflammatory activity was tested by measuring the secretion of cytokines using macrophage cells. The three species showed different bioactivities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory activities. To the best of our knowledge, the results presented here are the first described for these species.

Chemometric discrimination of Hylocereus undulatus from different geographical origins via their metabolic profiling and antidiabetic activity

Hylocereus spp. known as dragon fruit is an exotic fruit that belongs to the Cactaceae family. LC-QTOF-MS and multivariate statistical tools were established to analyze differences in the composition of dragon fruit peel and pulp from Egypt, Germany, Philippines, and China. The α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of different extracts were carried out along with the anti-glycation end products (AGE) using BSA-fructose, BSA-methylglyoxal, and arginine-methylglyoxal assays. In addition, the total antioxidant capacity was investigated as a complementary mechanism to AGE formation. Principal component analysis revealed that dragon fruits from China and Egypt were the most distinct among all samples due to betalains content. Orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis identified 16 compounds highly correlated to the antiglycation activity such as betanin, γ-aminobutyric acid, neobetanin, and portulacaxanthin II. Pulp extracts were more active than peels as inhibitors of α-glucosidase. While peels were more active as AGE formation inhibitors and as antioxidants.

Use of Opuntia ficus-indica Fruit Peel as a Novel Source of Mucilage with Coagulant Physicochemical/Molecular Characteristics.

The peels obtained as a byproduct from the processing of fruits (prickly pears) of the Cactaceae family are a rich source of mucilage, a hydrocolloid biopolymer that may have potential application in water/wastewater treatment as a natural coagulant. In this study, the structural (UPLC-QTOF-MS, FTIR, Raman, NMR, XRD, and zeta potential), morphological (SEM), and thermal (DSC/TGA) characterizations of the mucilage extracted from the peels of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) fruits were carried out. UPLC-QTOF-MS results revealed the presence of a branched polymer with an average molecular weight of 0.44 KDa for this mucilage in aqua media. The NMR spectra of mucilage in DMSO-d6 indicated that it seemed well-suited as a coagulant with its typical oligosaccharide structure. FTIR studies confirmed the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups in the mucilage, indicating its polyelectrolyte nature that could provide coagulating properties through binding and adsorption mechanisms. Likewise, the zeta potential of −23.63 ± 0.55 mV showed an anionic nature of the mucilage. Power XRD technique evidenced the presence of crystalline poly(glycine-β-alanine), glutamic acid, and syn-whewellite. SEM images revealed an irregular and amorphous morphology with cracks, which are suitable characteristics for adsorption mechanisms. The mucilage exhibited two endothermic transitions, with a decomposition temperature in uronic acid of 423.10 °C. These findings revealed that mucilage obtained from OFI fruit peels has molecular and physicochemical characteristics that are suited to its possible application as a natural coagulant in water/wastewater treatments.

Biominerals in the Cacteae tribe: Chemical-morphological characterization, distribution and systematic perspectives

• The occurrence of silica bodies in the hypodermis of cacti are diagnostic for all the species of Echinocactus , and the exclusion of E. grusonii of this genus is supported by the lack of silica bodies as well as the occurrence of calcium oxalate druses. • Six biomineral habits were found in the Cacteae species studies, being spherulites and prisms the most common. • Extracellular sandstones occur in six species of Mammillaria , commonly in the outer periclinal wall of the epidermis. • For the first time the structure of the biominerals of seven genera ( Cumarinia, Echinomastus, Escobaria, Obregonia, Sclerocactus , Stenocactus) of Cacteae are characterized. Biominerals precipitate by biological activity and are found in various organisms. In the Cactaceae family, biominerals have been described for numerous genera and species and their contribution to systematics has recently been demonstrated. The aims of this study are to characterize the biominerals in the stem of members of Cacteae by describing their shape, position and mineral composition. Twenty-eight genera and 149 species of Cacteae were studied by bright-field and polarized microscopy. The composition of biominerals was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in 34 species representing the Cacteae clades. The biominerals of seven genera out of 28 are described for the first time. Only six species of Mammillaria have extracellular biominerals. Sixteen genera and 91 species possess intracellular biominerals in hypodermis, where species of Echinocactus and Ferocactus showed silica bodies. Spherulites, prisms and druses are present in 28 genera, and are distributed in the cortex of 141 species and in the pith of 94 species. Statistical analysis revealed differences between genera for the maximum length of biominerals in the hypodermis and cortex. Notably, Kadenicarpus possesses the smallest biominerals in the cortex and pith (< 35 µm in mean) and the largest mean in the pith for Astrophytum (212 µm). In the Cacteae, calcium oxalates were the most predominant biominerals. Other elements such as magnesium, manganese, and aluminum were also identified. Lophophora is characterized by crystalline aggregates in the cortex of both species with calcium oxalate and traces of silicon and iron, which are not found in other crystalline aggregates of other taxa. We detected a unique combination of biominerals that allowed for us to distinguish the species of some genera, such as Astrophytum and Echinocactus . In conclusion, the occurrence, structure and size of biominerals provide valuable information for systematics at the generic level in Cacteae.

Phenolic Compounds' Occurrence in Opuntia Species and Their Role in the Inflammatory Process: A Review.

Within the Cactaceae family, Opuntia comprises the most widespread species, with a recognized importance in human life, including feeding, domestic use as home natural barriers, and as a traditional remedy for diverse diseases and conditions such asthma, edema, and burns. Indeed, scientific reports have stated that these health benefits may be due to various active compounds, particularly polyphenols, which are ubiquitously found in plants and have proven their pharmacological efficiency by displaying antimicrobial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory activities, among others. Opuntia species contain different classes of phenolic compounds that are recognized for their anti-inflammatory potential. Among them, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol derivates were reported to greatly contribute to modulate cells’ infiltration and secretion of soluble inflammatory mediators, with key implications in the inflammatory process. In this review, we make a summary of the different classes of phenolic compounds reported in Opuntia species so far and explore their implications in the inflammatory process, reported by in vitro and in vivo bioassays, supporting the use of cactus in folk medicine and valorizing them from the socio-economic point of view.

Therapeutic potential of Opuntia ficus indica extract against cadmium-induced osteoporosis and DNA bone damage in male rats

The purpose of the present study was to assess the protective effects of ‘Opuntia ficus indica’ (family Cactaceae) against osteoporosis induced by cadmium chloride in female Wistar rats. Experiments were carried out on 36 male Wistar rats (6-8 weeks old) divided into four groups of nine each: a control group, a group treated with cadmium (3,5 mg/kg /day) by subcutaneous injection, a group treated with Opuntia ficus indica extract (100 mg/Kg/day) by gavage, and a group treated with opuntia extract then treated with cadmium. After 10 weeks of treatment, animals from each group were rapidly sacri?ced by decapitation. Blood serum was obtained by centrifugation. Bone toxicity was estimated by examining femoral length and weight, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3 and alkaline phsphatase (ALP) levels, oxidative status and DNA aspects in femur tissue. Results showed that cadmium could induce hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, Vit D deficiency, increase in ALP level, and decrease in femur weight and length. Also, an oxidative stress evidenced by statistically signi?cant losses in the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide-dismutase (SOD), glutathione-peroxidase (GPX) activities and an increase in lipids peroxidation level in bone tissue of cadmium-treated group compared with the control group. In addition, histological analysis in bone tissue of cadmium-induced rats revealed pronounced morphological alterations with areas of bone resorption and a loss of normal architecture of femur diaphysis bone as well as DNA fragmentation. However, administration of cactus extract attenuated cadmium-induced bone damage. The protective effect of the plant can be attributed to its antioxidant properties and the existence of phenolic acids and flavonoids, as highlighted by HPLC-based analysis. These findings indicate that ‘Opuntia ficus indica’ extract, can be used as a new option in nutraceutical field.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of red (Hylocereus polyrhizus) and white (Hylocereus undatus) dragon fruits

Dragon fruit belongs to the genus Hylocereus of the Cactaceae family. There are two species that are commonly cultivated; Hylocerues polyrhizus and Hylocereus undatus that have the same red skin but different flesh colours, red and white respectively. Although from the same genus, the phytochemical contents and bioactivities of both fruits may not be the same. This study aims to compare the phytochemical contents, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of H. polyrhizus and H. undatus to help consumers better choose nutritional fruits and to explore potential natural preservatives. The fruit samples were extracted using 50% ethanol and later were subjected to phytochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial assays. The phytochemical contents were determined using Folin Ciolcalteu and aluminium chloride methods for total phenolic and total flavonoid respectively. The antioxidant activity was determined using diphenyl-picryl hydrazine (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Disk diffusion method was performed to evaluate antibacterial activities against two food-borne pathogens, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. H. polyrhizus showed to contain significantly higher phenolic content (p&lt;0.05), while H. undatus had significantly higher flavonoid content (p&lt;0.05). Comparison of antioxidant activities in both fruit samples indicated higher activities were observed in H. polyrhizus and both fruit extracts showed inhibition zones against the tested bacteria with H. polyrhizus extract was able to inhibit at lower concentration. The results suggest that H. polyrhizus may have higher bioactivities compared to H. undatus due to the significantly higher phenolic content.

The prickly problem of interwoven lineages: hybridization processes in Cactaceae

Background: Hybridization in nature occurs in numerous botanical families. In particular, the Cactaceae family contains lots of genera in which hybridization is reported.&#x0D; Questions: What are the patterns of reported natural hybridization in Cactaceae and their probable causes? Are there phylogenetic and evolutionary implications related to hybridization, particularly in Opuntioideae?&#x0D; Data description: A total of 62 articles about natural hybridization and classical Cactaceae literature were reviewed.&#x0D; Study site and dates: From 1900 to June 2021&#x0D; Methods: A search for articles was performed in Web of Science and Google Scholar with the keywords "Cactaceae hybridization", for time span "1900 to 2021" and included information from classic family-specific monographs.&#x0D; Results: Natural hybrids in Cactaceae occur in subfamilies, Cactoideae and Opuntioideae. There is evidence of nonselective mechanisms of reproductive isolation, but only for few taxa. For Cactoideae members the main approach used was morphological description, and the tribe with the highest number of natural hybrids was Trichocereeae. In Opuntioideae, the reviewed articles performed mostly chromosome counts, morphometric and phylogenetic analyses, and showed the highest number of natural hybrids.&#x0D; Conclusions: It has been suggested that hybridization impacts the evolution of Cactoideae and Opuntioideae, but few studies have formally tested this hypothesis. In Cactoideae, we found only descriptive evidences of hybridization; therefore, previous statements suggesting an important role of hybridization in the evolution of Cactoideae should be supported by performing formal analyses. For the postulation that hybridization impacts the evolution of Opuntioideae, we found formal evidence supporting hybridization hypothesis unlike what we found in Cactoideae.

Cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) species and cultivars cultivated in the world: A review

Cactus pears are succulent plants resistant to drought and Opuntia Mill. Is the typical genus. This genus includes a group of cactus pear plants which are economically the most important in the cactus family. Cactus pears are originated from Mexico. Adapted to harsh and dry conditions, they are cultivated in the arid and semi-arid areas of the world and are now part of the agricultural systems of these areas. Opuntia ficus−indica (L.) Mill. is the most important economic species worldwide. It is cultivated in many countries of the world and naturalized in certain regions, as in the Mediterranean basin. The spineless species O. ficus−indica resulted from a long selection process in cultivation, and several Opuntia species are mentioned to be its ancestors, in particular O. megacantha Salm−Dyck and O. streptacantha Lem. Several taxa are often confused due to ambiguous descriptions and a lack of types. Molecular studies are a useful tool in plant taxonomy, and most of the taxa in the subfamily Opuntioideae are polyploid and Opuntia species are tetra, hexa or octoploids taxa. This paper describe the most important anatomical and morphological characters of cactus pears as cladodes, flowers and fruits, and the area of their cultivation and distribution in the world is presented. The taxonomic features of the genus Opuntia are highlighted and DNA molecular analysis of its taxa is discussed. Species and cultivars cultivated in the most producing countries are described.

Are endangered cacti safe in Brazil?

In situ conservation is an effective way to conserve living organisms, particularly endangered species. One way to encourage and guarantee in situ conservation is the creation of Conservation Units. Thus, this study points out which endangered cacti are protected in these Conservation Units and which are living in unprotected areas. Furthermore, we also discuss the effectiveness of these different types of Conservation Units in protecting these endangered cacti. Initially, we made up a list of all Cactaceae species in Brazil to assign their respective extinction risk category. This list was prepared according to the ‘Flora do Brasil’ database, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and the book Cacti of Eastern Brazil. We only included cacti assigned to the Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered categories. We also obtained information about the phytogeographic domain and Conservation Unit where cacti grow. There are 272 species and thirty-seven genera of the Cactaceae family in Brazil. Cacti grow in all six Brazilian phytogeographic domains. We found 135 species grouped into twenty-three genera threatened with extinction in Brazil. Parodia Speg. (nineteen species), Pilosocereus Byles & Rowley (sixteen species) and Rhipsalis Gaertn. (sixteen species) are the genera with the largest number of endangered species. There is no record of endangered cacti in the Amazon Rainforest. The largest number of endangered taxa are in the Cerrado (fifty-two taxa), Caatinga (fifty-one taxa), and Atlantic Forest (forty-eight taxa). We found that about 50% of these taxa grow in unprotected areas outside Conservation Units, which means that most endangered cacti are not safe in Brazil. If we do not take urgent protection actions for their conservation, many endangered cacti will be extinct from the wild in a few years in Brazil.

Genus Mammillaria Haw. in the Yucatán Peninsula

Two species of the genus Mammillaria Haw. are the only globular cacti belonging to the family Cactaceae that have been reported from the Yucatán Peninsula, occurring only in the northernmost coastal areas of the Mexican state of Yucatán. While Mammillaria heyderi subsp. gaumeri is a relatively common cactus inhabiting various types of biotopes (from stabilised coastal sand dunes to dry tropical deciduous forests), Mammillaria columbiana subsp. yucatanensis has been re-discovered in its habitat near Progreso (type locality) only very recently and only a few specimens have been so far reported. Thus, although recorded from other parts of Mesoamerica, M. columbiana subsp. yucatanensis should be considered as a very endangered plant in Yucatán Peninsula, deserving the special protection status. The biggest threat to both cacti is the destruction of their habitats due to the urbanisation of the coastal areas.

Effect of Different Plant Growth Regulators on Micropropagation of Some Pitaya Varieties

Pitaya belongs to the family Cactaceae and the genus Hylocereus. It is essential todevelop tissue culture protocols according to the appropriate variety to spread pitayacommercial production and ensure healthy sapling production. This study aimed todetermine the best plant growth regulators (PGRs) in the micropropagation process,and their effects on different pitaya cultivars were evaluated. Shoots of different pitayacultivars were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplementedwith Indole-3-butyric (IBA), 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP), and gibberellic acid(GA3). The highest micropropagation coefficient was determined in Physical Graffitivariety cultured in MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L BAP. The general evaluation based on the variety determined that the best micropropagation was in the RoyalRed variety. In in vitro rooting studies, the best rooting variety was Royal Red(54.47%), followed by Siam Red (50.33%), Physical Graffiti (47.75%), and SeoulKitchen (44.82%). It was determined that the Royal Red variety is grown in R2 (MSmedium supplemented with 1 mg/l IBA) medium gave the best results in all criteriaof shoot length (4.28 cm), root length (6.45 cm), and root formation on the face(74.48%). It was envisioned that these differences between the micropropagation,growth, and rooting of the cultivars used in the studies resulted from the cultivar characteristics.Keywords: Pitaya, In vitro, Micropropagation, Royal Red, Seoul Kitchen, Siam Red,Physical Graffiti

Ora-pro-nobis - chemical characterization and sourcing of crude extract through different extraction methods: a review

Ora-pro-nobis has its center of origin in tropical America. It is found in Brazil, from the Northeast to Rio Grande do Sul. The plant belongs to the Cactaceae family, Pereskia genus. Its leaves and fruits contain bioactive compounds that may have expectorant properties and can be used to alleviate inflammatory processes in traditional medicine. Despite its richness, the plant is still little used by the general population and the food and pharmaceutical industries. Some extraction methods are used to obtain bioactive compounds from crude plant extracts, such as maceration, supercritical fluid, and ultrasound-assisted extraction, which have stood out for meeting the principles of green chemistry. The chemical characterization of the extracts obtained through chromatographic analysis by GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS proves to be extremely effective, as it allows quantifying the various chemical species present in the extract, making it possible to evaluate and compare the results generated in each chosen extraction condition. The objective of this research is to conduct a review study about the Pereskia aculeata Miller plant. To this end, an exploratory study was carried out, by means of theoretical surveys through Science direct, Capes, Scielo and Pubmed databases. Extracting from plants using different methods is an important step for the industry, ensuring improvement in the quality of products, especially in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. In this sense, no comparative study was found in the literature employing different extraction methods for ora-pro-nobis in the sense of identifying the best method, one with better yield and greater amount of bioactive compounds. The search for different extraction strategies integrated with processes and products that can extract intelligently, minimizing waste, shows an innovative potential in future research.

Mating systems in a natural hybrid of Cephalocereus (Cactaceae) and comparative seed germination

The Cactaceae family has a strong predisposition for hybridization, which is a mechanism suggested to be relevant to its evolution. However, a few studies evidence the consequences of hybridization in members of this family. A population of Cephalocereus columna-trajani × C. tetetzo cohabits with both parental species in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Reserve, Mexico. A comparative analysis was conducted between these three taxa with three principal aims: a) determine, through in situ experiments, the mating system of a hybrid taxon; b) compare seed morphology; and c) evaluate seed germination under controlled conditions. Our results show that the mating success was higher between hybrid individuals than between hybrids and C. tetetzo members. The hybrid seed showed the typical morphology of the tribe Pachycereeae but was statistically smaller than the seed of C. columna-trajani. Under white and red light the total germination percentage of hybrid seeds was higher than that of both parental species, which was interpreted as hybrid vigor. In summary, the successful mating between individuals preceding the formation of viable seeds with better germination capacity than both parental species is evidence of the reproductive success of hybrids, disproving their sterility and challenging the view that the hybrid taxon represents an “evolutionary endpoint”.

Morpho-palynological and anatomical studies in desert cacti (Opuntia dillenii and Opuntia monacantha) using light and scanning electron microscopy.

Opuntia is the most diverse and widely distributed drought resistant promising genus of family Cactaceae. The cladodes were utilized to quantify the chemical composition of these plants helpful in lignocellulose conversion and their application towards biofuel production. The present study was aimed to evaluate and compare the taxonomic relationship based on morphology, stem anatomy and palynology of important desert cacti including Opuntia dillenii and Opuntia monacantha. This study also evaluates the potential usefulness of morphological, anatomical and pollen traits using light and scanning electron microscopy. The obtained microcharacters of stem and flowers are considered diagnostic at the generic and specific levels. Some distinguishing morphological features observed were elliptical to obovate cladodes, 1-7 spines per areole and presence of glochidia in O.dillenii. Pollen and stem anatomical characters of the studied taxa are considered highly diagnostic at the generic and species levels. The epidermis has irregular and wavy cells, with straight to sinuate wall pattern and paracytic stomata. Pollen grains appear as pantoporate and prolate spheroidal having reticulate to perforate-reticulate sculpturing while exine semi-tectate to tectate. The taxonomic features studied could be valuable to elaborate and helpful in correctly identification of Opuntia species. The methods of diverse microscopic examination also providing sufficient evidence about the taxonomy of the Opuntia species. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Description and illustration of desert cacti Opuntia. Morpho-anatomy and palynology were studied with LM and SEM. Highly variation in taxonomic qualitative and quantitative features. Systematic significance based on taxonomic characters was presented.

The Cactaceae family in the Santa Maria river basin (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)

We present a paper dealing, with the family Cactaceae in the Santa Maria River Basin, which were studied by field surveys (2014–2016) and analysis of relevant literature. For each genus, species richness in the study area, general distribution, detailed, maps concerning the study area, and original pictures are provided. The species were assessed according to the IUCN categories and criteria. A key for the identification of the genera in Santa Maria River Basin was proposed. A description of the main found phytophysiognomies (field, saxicola, forest, and wetland), in which the cacti grow, were also given using Walking Method. Twenty-nine Cactaceae taxa were discovered, belonging to the following genera: Parodia (13 taxa, including a nomenclatural change, i.e. P. ritteriana comb. nov. (≡ Notocactus ritterianus), Frailea (7), Gymnocalycium (2), Wigginsia (3), Echinopsis (1), Cereus (1), and Opuntia (1), and Lepismium (1). Five species have a restricted distribution inside area in Santa Maria River Basin. The floristic diversity found in the study area is related to the edaphic and climatic conditions provided by the stony springs in the Santa Maria River Basin, which constitute a favorable microclimate of intense luminosity, heat and humidity for xerophytic species to develop in open areas.