Prickly Pear Cladodes Research Articles

Biomass Resources to Hybridize CSP with Biomethane: Potential of Horticultural Residues and Drought-tolerant Crops.

HYSOL technology allows the hybridization of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology with biomethane for the efficient generation of clean and sustainable electricity in a firm and dispatchable manner. Biomass from horticultural residues and drought-tolerant crops is a promising feedstock for biomethane production in areas with high solar radiation. This paper investigates the biomass potential of these two resources in Spain by considering the volume of horticultural residues generated, availability of suitable land for dedicated prickly pear plantations and its methane generation capacity. Experimental biomethane yields have also been determined for different substrates mixtures of overripe tomatoes and prickly pear cladodes. Potential biomethane and electricity production are then calculated, as well as the number of conventional CSP and HYSOL plants that could be supplied with this energy. Results show that a significant number of CSP plant could be methane-supplied by the studied resources: up to 45 conventional CSP or 4 HYSOL plants.

Potential for biofuels from the biomass of prickly pear cladodes: Challenges for bioethanol and biogas production in dry areas

Prickly pear is a term used to refer to several species of cactus belonging primarily to the genus Opuntia. In general, these species present an exceptional ability to produce biomass in soil and climate conditions unfavorable for most plant species, in part due to their high water use efficiency. Given the current increase demand for renewable energy and the future prospect of more limited water resources, the potential use of prickly pear cladodes for biofuel production deserves to be investigated. The objectives of this study were to gather information on the chemical composition of prickly pear biomass from the most cultivated varieties in NE Brazil, discuss the potential of processing biomass for ethanol and biogas production and to point out gaps in know-how and priorities for research on this topic. We quantified in the tree varieties studied significant amounts of uronic acids (10.7%) and oxalic acid (10.3%), confirming the reports of high amounts of pectin and calcium oxalate in cladodes of prickly pear. The estimated potential of ethanol production for prickly pear (1490–1875 L ha−1 yr−1) was low when compared to traditional biomass sources (sugarcane and sugar beet, for example). However, it appears that prickly pear stands out as a biomass with potential for high production rates of methane (3717 m3 ha−1 yr−1), being comparable to traditional energy crops. Further studies are needed to assess more consistently both the sustainability of biomass production as the potential for ethanol, and biogas production, specially for newly released varieties of prickly pear.

ENZYMATIC EXTRACTION OF PECTIN FROM OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA CLADODES

Within studies about valorisation of agricultural and agro-industrial wastes, in the past the authors have worked on the extraction of mucilage and pectin from cladodes of prickly pear cultivated in Sicily. Mucilage and pectin are hydrocolloids of considerable commercial interest, as gelling, emulsifiers and thickening agents and are used mainly in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Mucilage and pectin, from the structural point of view, are complex polysaccharides consisting of arabinose, xylose, galactose, glucose and uronic acids, in different percentages, with the pectin richest in the latter. In the earlier works the mucilage was extracted with cold water acidulated, while the pectin with dilute acid at 90°C, both were recovered by precipitation with ethanol. This paper proposes an interesting variation, namely the extraction of pectin with commercial pectinolytic enzyme, after that of the mucilage with the classic method. The experimental tests conducted on different types of cladodes have given extraction yields of pectin between 6.12 and 7.08%, comparable to those obtained with the classical method with acid (6.20-7.20%). However, the enzymatic extraction allows obtaining undoubted ecological and economic advantages: lower extraction temperature and easier treatment of purification of the effluents. This could be one more reason for the emergence of companies that work cladodes of pruning. Alternatively, the existing pectin industries could use such cladodes as raw material, in addition to the lemon peel traditionally worked. Of course, it is necessary to characterize in deep the pectin from cladodes to assess its quality.

Moisture Diffusivity and Shrinkage of Fruit and Cladode of Opuntia ficus-indica during Infrared Drying

Drying behaviour of prickly pear cladodes and fruits was studied with an Infrared dryer. The volume shrinkage for Opuntia ficus-indica products is calculated and a linear relation was established to describe the experimental variation of shrinkage of the product versus its moisture content. Effective diffusion coefficient of moisture transfer was determined using the Fick law at three drying temperatures (40, 50, and 60°C). Shrinkage was also included into the diffusion model for the determination of the effective diffusion coefficient. The obtained results of the effective moisture diffusivity, for the cladode and the fruit, were evaluated in the range of 1.77 × 10−10–5.07 × 10−10 m2/s and 2.53 × 10−10–7.6 × 10−10 m2/s, respectively. The values of the activation energies for cladode and fruit were estimated to be 45.39 and 47.79 kJ/mol, respectively. However, these values of moisture diffusivity were estimated independently of the evolution of moisture content during drying process. Therefore, a correlation (full quadratic equation) for moisture diffusivity as a function of moisture content and temperature was developed. The parameters are obtained by a multilinear regression method. This equation was found satisfactory to describe the diffusivity evolution function of moisture content and temperature with correlation coefficients of 91.5 and 95%.

Identification of Fungal Species Associated with Cladode Spot of Prickly Pear and Their Sensitivity to Chitosan

AbstractMéxico is the most important producer of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus‐indica) in the world. There are several fungal diseases that can have a negative impact on their yields. In this study, there was a widespread fungal richness on cladodes spot of prickly pears from México. A total of 41 fungi isolates were obtained from cladodes spot; 11 of them were morphologically different. According to the pathogenicity test, seven isolates caused lesions on cladodes. The morphological and molecular identification evidenced the isolation of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium lunatum, Curvularia lunata. All these species caused similar symptoms of circular cladodes spot. However, it is noticeable that some lesions showed perforation and detachment of affected tissues by Fusarium lunatum. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the Fusarium lunatum as phytopathogenic fungus of cladodes of prickly pear. The chitosan inhibited the mycelium growth in the seven isolates of phytopathogenic fungi. Chitosan applications diminished the disease incidence caused by C. gloeosporioies and F. lunatum in 40 and 100%, respectively. Likewise, the lesion severity index in cladodes decreased. There are no previous reports about the application of chitosan on cladodes of prickly pears for the control of phytopathogenic fungi. Therefore, this research could contribute to improve the strategies for the management of diseases in prickly pear.

Virus associated with thickening of the cladodes of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.)

Symptoms putative to phytoplasmas and virus as yellowing, mosaic, proliferation and deformation of fruits and thickening of the cladodes of prickly pear have been observed in Nopaltepec, Estado de México. The objective of this investigation was to detect the presence of virus in samples of prickly pear showing thickening syndrome of the cladodes. The analysis of double-stranded RNA in prickly pear tissue whit the symptoms mentioned above revealed the presence of viral RNA. In symptomatic tissue, flexible rods of 950-1700 nm in length were observed with the aid of transmission electron microscopy. The virus was transmitted mechanically to Nicotiana tabacum var. Xanthi, N. glutinosa, N. occidentalis, N. benthamiana, Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor and Datura stramonium. Results from RT-PCR indicate that the particle does not correspond to TMV, neither to member of the Potyviridae family or species of the genus Potexvirus.

Assessing diet and seasonality in the Lower Pecos canyonlands: an evaluation of coprolite specimens as records of individual dietary decisions

This article presents an evaluation of coprolite specimens from the Lower Pecos canyonlands as records of individual dietary decisions. Prior studies of coprolites from this region have greatly expanded our knowledge of Archaic subsistence patterns, but have not taken full advantage of the record of individual dietary decisions recorded in each coprolite specimen. The menu, or dietary combinations, reflected in individual coprolite specimens are assessed through the identification of several congruent botanical components derived from the same food resource, phytoliths, fiber ultimates, and epidermal sheets. The data is analyzed with hierarchical cluster analysis, an exploratory statistical technique. The resultant menus reflected in these clusters are evaluated with reference to a diet-breadth model developed for the known staple resources of the canyonlands. Three main menus are apparent in the specimens. The first menu consists of prickly pear ( Opuntia sp.) cladodes, or nopales, and was principally, although not exclusively, consumed in the late spring. This menu is primarily consumed when other resources were not readily available and may be considered a dependable but undesirable meal. The second menu consists of pit-baked lechuguilla ( Agave lechuguilla) and sotol (Dasylirion sp.) caudices, or hearts, common throughout the cool season. This menu entails high processing costs, but would provide a reliable caloric return. The third menu exhibits a monolithic reliance on prickly pear fruits, or tunas, during the summer. The ease of harvest and consumption is reflected in the seasonal dominance of this resource, which was assuredly a highly desirable meal. The dietary patterns recorded in the coprolite specimens from the Lower Pecos canyonlands demonstrate a seasonally variable diet-breadth that incorporated low-ranked resources during times of seasonal scarcity as well as a monolithic dependence on high-ranked resources when they were available in the local landscape.

Development and validation of a standard area diagram set for assessment of alternaria spot on the cladodes of the prickly pear cactus.

Alternaria spot, caused by Alternaria tenuis, is an important disease of cladodes of the prickly pear cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera) in Brazil. There are no standard methods for assessment of the disease, so a standard area diagram set (SAD) was developed based on disease severity encompassing 2, 4, 7, 12, 22 and 40% of the cladode area spotted. SAD was validated by 10 raters, who analysed 50 cladodes with a range of disease severity, without and with SAD as an assessment aid. The accuracy, precision, reproducibility and repeatability of the estimates with and without the scale were determined using simple linear regression analysis. Without SAD the accuracy and precision of raters’ estimates were poor, with significantly constant and systematic bias, and determination coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.56 to 0.78. When raters employed SAD, significant reductions were observed in both constant and systematic bias, with R2 ranging from 0.91 to 0.96. In fact, raters achieved the highest repeatability (mean R2 = 0.95) and reproducibility (R2 =0.80 in all cases) of estimates when using SAD. The proposed SAD set is suitable for assessment of Alternaria spot of prickly pear cladodes and improves the accuracy and precision of assessments.

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOME NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS WITH TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY (MEASURED WITH SIX DIFFERENT ASSAYS) IN EIGHT HORTICULTURAL COMMODITIES

The contents of total soluble phenolics (TSP), vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene and total carotenoids (TC) in eight fruits have been correlated with the antioxidant capacity (AC) of hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts measured by six different antioxidant assays (DMPD, DPPH, FRAP, ORAC, TEAC, TOSC). Guava had the highest TSP content, followed by black sapote, strawberry, prickly pear cladodes (nopal), avocado, prickly pear fruit, and papaya. Guava fruit had the highest vitamin C content, whereas the lower levels were found in black sapote and nopal. Ascorbic acid was the main contributor to the total vitamin C content (>85%), with exception of nopal and avocado. Evaluated fruits showed significant differences in vitamin E content, with the exception of mango and strawberry, without differences between them, and the highest content was in black sapote, followed by avocado, guava, nopal, mango, strawberry, papaya and prickly pear fruit. Mango had the highest β-carotene and TC, and prickly pear fruit, guava, and strawberry had the lowest TC. In relation with AC, values of hydrophilic extracts ranged from 78.9 to 6230.6 mmol of trolox equivalents (TE)/100 g with DPPH assay; 798.4 to 15420.4 mmol TE/100 g with DMPD assay; 257.1 to 7482.9 mmol TE/100 g with FRAP assay; 330.4 to 8591 mmol TE/100 g with ORAC assay; 222.1 to 2243.8 mmol TE/100 g with TEAC assay; and from 2055.5 to 8235.6 mmol TE/100 g with TOSC assay. Lipophilic values ranged from 0 to 91.2 mmol TE/100 g with DPPH assay; 0 to 145.2 mmol TE/100 g with DMPD assay; 8.4 to 31.8 mmol TE/100 g with TEAC assay; and from 13.7 to 61 mmol TE/100 g with TOSC assay. In general, lipophilic values were <5% of the hydrophilic values except for a very few samples. The hydrophilic extract of guava had the major value when evaluated with DMPD, DPPH, FRAP, TEAC and TOSC assays; whereas with the ORAC assay, black sapote was the major one. On the other hand, the hydrophilic extracts of papaya and prickly pear fruit presented the lowest values of AC with all used assays. Regression analysis revealed that the content of TSP and vitamin C were highly correlated with the AC of hydrophilic extracts evaluated by the six assays. On the other hand, only the AC of the lipophilic extracts, evaluated by the DMPD assay, was highly correlated with the content of β-carotene and TC.

Genetics Analysis of Larval Foraging Behavior in Drosophila Funebris

To understand the genetics and evolution of foraging in larvae of Drosophila funebris, we examined two strains reared at different breeding sites in the wild. Larvae of the Til-Til strain breed in necrotic cactus tissue, while those of the Pelequén strain rear in necrotic prickly pear cladodes. We measured feeding, locomotion, turning behavior, and latency of D. funebris. Til-Til and Pelequén larvae, at 8 days of age show very similar rates in all behaviors. Crosses between Til-Til and Pelequén strains decrease feeding rate and increase locomotion, turning, and latency in F(1) and F(2) larvae. Backcross larvae show a behavior similar to that of their parental strains. The behavioral similarities observed between the Til-Til and Pelequén strains are product of two different co-adapted gene pools. Epistasis and dominance are the principal sources upon which adaptation of the gene pools of each population are based.

CHARACTERISTIC DRYING CURVE and MATHEMATICAL MODELING of THIN‐LAYER SOLAR DRYING of PRICKLY PEAR CLADODE (OPUNTIA FICUS INDICA)

ABSTRACTThin‐layer solar drying experiments were conducted for the prickly pear cladode grown in Marrakech, Morocco. the experimental drying curves obtained show only a falling rate period. the results verified, with good reproducibility, that the drying air temperature is the main factor in controlling the drying rate. the expression of the drying rate equation was determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Eight different drying models were compared according to their correlation coefficient (r2) to estimate solar drying curves. the Page model could satisfactorily describe the solar drying curves of cladode with an r2 of 0.9995. the coefficient of this model could be explained by the effect of drying air temperature with an r2 of 1.0000.

Prickly pear cladodes and fruits as a potential raw material for the bioindustries

The biomass of prickly pear cladodes and fruits are a potential raw material for fermentations and are of particular consideration for arid and semi-arid regions, where its cultivation would also make use of an important land areas. This paper reviews the attempts of uses of prickly pear cladodes and fruits in food and biotechnological processes.

Anatomy of adventitious root formation inOpuntia ficus-indicacladodes

SummaryAdventitious root formation in one year old cladodes of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.) was studied over two weeks after excision in March. The root initials are formed in several tissues, but most primordia originate from phloem cells, located near to, or below, the areoles, while the cambium remains dormant. The stimulus to cell dedifferentiation and multiplication may occur very early, even within the first 48 h; primordia emergence may take as little as two weeks. The primordia never penetrate the areole, but rather turn around it and then run parallel to the areolar cavity, to emerge through the cladode tissues, adjacent to the areolar cavity. Several primordia can be produced by each areolar complex.