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Cactus pear fruits (Opuntia spp.): A review of processing technologies and current uses
Abstract
Crops with additional health-promoting and nutritional benefits, such as cactus pears, are increasingly gaining momentum both for health professionals and consumers (Feugang et al., 2006). Cactus pear fruits are rich in betalains, taurine, minerals, and antioxidants, and thus fit well this trend. Hence, it is considered and are predicted a promising future crop for commercial food applications. In this light, a sound knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of cactus pears as well as their current and potential future uses are needed. However, data are scattered and often difficult to access. Therefore, the present review summarizes data from the literature and points out promising areas of research.
... Producers determine harvest time (ripeness for consumption) in the field depending on the color and texture of the fruit. The pH level changes with ripening progresses, that fact was fixed by Moßhammer et al., (2006) changes occur in the pH and TSS during ripening, Chiteva & Wairagu (2013) reported that, the fruits irrespective of the origin or variety, are a good natural reservoir of minerals. The fruits is generally consumed fresh, but they are highly perishable, and usually can show spots and rot due to decay after nine days of storage at ambient temperature 19±5 • C (Hahn-Schlam et al., 2019). ...
... El-Samahy et al., (2006) analyse the PP, low acidity and high pH values ranging between 0.049% to 0.057% and 6.00 to 6.20, respectively. Protein is one of the highly important nutrients, the edible pulp is rich in amino acids as noted by (Kamble et al., 2017;Moßhammer et al., 2006). However, the success of storage depends on several factors, including the cultivar, storage atmosphere, orchard management practices (especially irrigation and mineral nutrition), and fruit maturity stage (Zegbe et al., 2015). ...
... Table3 represent the changes on Total sugars (TS) for fruit pulp, TS in the control samples in zero time (13.27 %) with sweet taste which in agreement with (Piga, 2004;Yahia, 2012) that the fruit is very sweet, TS ranged 10-17% and 12-16% respectively. This sweet taste was duo to the sugar component is primarily glucose and fructose in similar amounts as obtained by Piga, (2004), or the highest sugar amount are glucose and fructose (29 and 24%, respectively) in the pulp, as registered by Salim et al., (2009), also, fruit pulp is rich in polysaccharides as indicted by Moßhammer et al., (2006). The results of Total Sugar in pulp of edible part in orange pulp fresh samples was less than those represented by ( Moßhammer et al., 2006;Sáenz & Sepúlveda, 2001) which approximately 15% ...
This research conducted (1) Objectives: to study the effect of preservation methods and packaging materials on the quality and safety of Prickly pear (PP) during the storage period. Across sectional descriptive study conducted on Palestine. (2) Materials and Methods: Fruits were hand-harvested, divided into Control, and Storage in refrigeration at 8c grouped with two material packaging in plastic (Polystyrene, Polyethylene terephthalate) and Carton (Tissue paper, Kraft paper). The fruits were stored for three months. chemical and microbial quality were evaluated at zero time and during storage. (3) Results: The samples wrapped in tissue paper showed a gradually significant decrease in Total Sugar and Brix by an increase in time during storage, and the samples deteriorated as it falls to 8.43 % after the second month. The samples that were wrapped in Kraft paper also showed slight decreases in the total sugar, Protein was not affected by the storage period in refrigeration, and all samples showed a gradually significant decrease in pH with statistically significant. Visual symptoms of chilling injury on fruits appeared after the second month of storage in refrigeration. (4) Conclusion: wrapping by Kraft paper kept the PP fruits in refrigeration without spoilage for two months.
... The peel is more acidic than the pulp and has a higher phenolic content. It contains considerable amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, and other fat-soluble compounds such as sterols (mainly β-sitosterol), β-carotene, and vitamin K1 [5,34,82,83]. ...
... It also contains tocopherols (mainly Υ-tocopherol), which prevent lipid peroxidation, making this oil quite stable. Considering the physicochemical properties referred to above, as well as others, namely the refractive index, the iodine index, and the saponification number, PP seed oil has properties like sunflower or grape seed oils [5,48,83]. ...
... The PP pulp has a low acidity, with predominately, in descending order, the following organic acids: malic, quinic, shikimic, oxalic, and citric acids (may vary between 0.05 and 0.18%) [83]. In this way, the PP is characterised as a low-acid food with a pH between 5.6 and 6.5. ...
The cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (OFI) belongs to the Cactaceae family, which contains about 130 genera and nearly 1600 species. This review aims to evaluate this plant from several perspectives, namely, botanic, physicochemical, nutritional, and medicinal properties, as well as agro-industrial use. The botanical aspects and morphological characteristics of OFI enable genetic variability, ecological adaptation, and broad geographic distribution. Due to its physicochemical and nutritional composition, it has several medicinal properties appropriate (or suitable) for several industries, such as pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics. Its fruit, the prickly pear (PP), has potential agro-industrial expansion through the application of different conservation and transformation methods, making it possible to obtain a variety of products. The PP is a source of several nutrients and is an effective system to produce varied foods, which have several advantages from a nutritional, sensory, economic, and shelf-life point of view.
... So far, several reviews have described the progress of research on cactus components (Goycoolea et al., 2003;Stintzing et al., 2005;Moßhammer et al., 2006;Shedbalkar et al., 2010;Shetty et al., 2012). Some other reviews on plant polysaccharides include cactus polysaccharides (Xie et al., 2016;Yuan et al., 2021;Felicia et al., 2022). ...
... Table 4 describes the clusters and their ID, size (number of papers), silhouette, and respective keywords. The following is a short explanation of each cluster: (Huang et al., 2008(Huang et al., a, 2009Chen et al., 2011Chen et al., , 2021Deters et al., 2012;Ejaz et al., 2014;Li et al., 2014;Ben Saad et al., 2017;da Silva Brito et al., 2020;Otálora et al., 2021;Zhang et al., 2022) (Mattagajasingh et al., 2006;Moßhammer et al., 2006;Luna-Paez et al., 2007;Ramírez-Truque et al., 2011;Di Cagno et al., 2016;Giglio et al., 2020) 2 30 0.879 Extraction; Acid; Optimization; Aroma; Rheological property; Cellulose (Ninio et al., 2003 a;Cárdenas et al., 2008;Felkai-Haddache et al., 2016;López-Mercado et al., 2018;Camelo Caballero et al., 2019;Silva et al., 2019;Nagarajan et al., 2020;Santagata et al., 2022) 3 25 0.945 Fruit; Behavior (Fox et al., 2012;Nharingo et al., 2015;Madera-Santana et al., 2018;Asnam et al., 2022) (Armenta et al., 2009;Nuñez-López et al., 2013;de Campo et al., 2018;El-Shahat et al., 2019) 5 24 0.979 Antioxidant activity; Stroke; Polyphenol; Brain slice; Food; Biological activity (Huang et al., 2008 b;a;Kim et al., 2013Kim et al., , 2014Xie et al., 2016) 6 23 0.896 Ficus indica; Mucilage; C13 NMR; Water relation (Nobel et al., 1995;Mondragon-Jacobo et al., 2000;Vignon et al., 2004;Ramírez-Truque et al., 2011;Lira-Ortiz et al., 2014;Montoya-Arroyo et al., 2014;Rivera-Corona et al., 2014;Manhivi et al., 2018;Raimundo et al., 2018;Hussain et al., 2021;Makhloufi et al., 2022) (Nerd et al., 1991;Nobel et al., 1995;Peña-Valdivia et al., 2012;Ciriminna et al., 2019) 8 16 0.905 Prickly pear; Component; Constituent (Ninio et al., 2003 b;Habibi et al., 2004) # 0 (Polysaccharide) The papers on this topic contain many papers focusing on the determination of a range of properties of cactus extracts and polysaccharides. For example, Huang et al. (2009) determined cactus polysaccharides' neuroprotective and antioxidant effects in vivo and in vitro. ...
... Di Cagno et al. (2016) investigated how to improve the shelf life, rheological, organoleptic and functional properties of cactus pear puree. Moßhammer et al.(Moßhammer et al., 2006) summarized the physical and chemical properties of cactus pear and their potential applications. ...
Plant polysaccharides are rich in physiological activities, which are beneficial for developing new drugs, nutraceuticals and functional foods. Cactus is of interest to researchers in agronomy, medicine and food chemistry because of its long history of medicinal use, its simple growing requirements and biological basis for becoming a green vegetable. This review provides the first summary and analysis of the research history of cactus polysaccharides through a bibliometric approach. Bibliometrics was used to investigate the focus of different stages of development of the topic, with contributions from different countries and institutions. In addition, keyword analysis and keyword clustering were used to understand the different research directions of this topic. The analysis showed that (1) the study of cactus plant polysaccharides is a long-established topic but did not attract much attention in its early stages. (2) In 2018, research on cactus polysaccharides has received more attention than ever before. (3) Mexican institutions and scholars have contributed the most important contributions to this topic. (4) This theme has only formed one complex network of cooperation, mainly composed of Mexican institutions and scholars. (5) Early studies on cactus polysaccharides focused on the detection, extraction and purification of polysaccharide content. (6) The biological activities of plant polysaccharides have gradually become the focus of research in recent years. (7) The biological activity of plant polysaccharides has been verified from in vitro experiments and in vivo experiments with positive results.
... An increase in heating temperature has been reported to increase colour saturation (Cruz-Cansino et al., 2016) and did not affect colour negatively (Moßhammer et al., 2006) during heat treatment and drying. Acidification and heat treatment were reported to improve the brightness index, protect natural colour and exhibit antibrowning of prickly pear juice (Kgalta et al., 2010;Kgatla et al., 2011) which could be the reason for a high colour score by panellists for products treated at high temperature and low pH. ...
... Acidification and heat treatment were reported to improve the brightness index, protect natural colour and exhibit antibrowning of prickly pear juice (Kgalta et al., 2010;Kgatla et al., 2011) which could be the reason for a high colour score by panellists for products treated at high temperature and low pH. Moßhammer et al., (2006) reported that the addition of organic acids (ascorbic acid, iso-ascorbic and citric acids) improved the heat stability of the betaxanthins and betacyanins of cactus pear juice. Moßhammer et al. (2006) reported the colour stability of yellow-orange cactus pear juice being more pronounced at pH 4.0 as compared to pH 6.0. ...
... Moßhammer et al., (2006) reported that the addition of organic acids (ascorbic acid, iso-ascorbic and citric acids) improved the heat stability of the betaxanthins and betacyanins of cactus pear juice. Moßhammer et al. (2006) reported the colour stability of yellow-orange cactus pear juice being more pronounced at pH 4.0 as compared to pH 6.0. The relationship between colour and independent variables was adequately described by a quadratic polynomial. ...
The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of heating time and temperature and pH level on the quality of cactus pear juice and to optimize the thermal treatment conditions and the pH for best results using two (red and white) varieties. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the heat treatment conditions and the pH. The heating time and temperature and pH significantly (p<0.05) affected the ascorbic acid content, sensory attributes and microbial load. Using graphical optimization, the best combinations for the red prickly juice were 5.5 to 14 mins and 62°C to 82°C with pH of 5.2 or pH 3.3 to 5.0 and temperature of 62°C to 92°C for 15 mins. For white prickly juice, the optimal ranges were 18.7 to 22.6 mins and 83.9°C to 93.4°C with pH of 5.2 or pH of 3.2 to 5.0 and temperature 93.5°C to 108°C for 15 mins. Using numerical optimization, the optimal conditions were 19.2 mins, 100°C and pH of 4 with a desirability value of 0.774 and 22 mins, 100°C and pH of 3.6 with the desirability value of 0.865 for red and white prickly pear juice, respectively.
... capitata f. rubra) [15][16][17][18] mixtures of water with ethanol, methanol, or acetone [19,20] Betalains, located in vacuoles [21] betacyanins structural types: betanin gomphrenin amaranthin ougainvillein -betaxanthins: indicaxanthin vulgaxanthin I [21] -nitrogen-containing, betalamic acid condenses with imino compounds (cyclo-DOPA/its glucosyl derivates) or amino acids/derivates [21] -water soluble [21] -heat-sensitive molecules [21] -stable between pH 3 and 7 [22] -yellow betaxanthins-less stable than their red counterparts [23,24] -betacyanins exhibit more peroxidase activity than betaxanthins [25] -metal cations (Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Sn 2+ , Al 3 + , Cr 3+ , Cu 2+ ) accelerate betanin degradation [26][27][28] yellow to violet [21] Ullucus Tuberosus Caldas, [29] Basella rubra L., [30] cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. and Oxalis stricta L.), [31][32][33][34][35] red-purple pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus (Weber) Britton & Rose), [32,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41] Amaranthus L. species [22,[41][42][43][44] precooled water or aqueous methanol [21] Chlorophylls -6 types identified (a, b, c, d, e, f) [45] -major types: chlorophyll a chlorophyll b [45,46] -porphyrins-macrocyclic tetrapyrrole pigments [35] with coordinated magnesium in the center hydrophobic segment (the phytol) and macrocycle (hydrophilic part) [24] -fat soluble [47] -chemically unstable molecule [48] -degradation by light, heat, oxygen, acid, enzymes [49] -chlorophyll a is less thermally stable than the chlorophyll b [50][51][52] from blue-green (a) to yellowgreen (b) [46] -photosynthetic organisms (plants, eukaryotic and blue-green algae) [53] organic solvents [54] (Continued) ...
... capitata f. rubra) [15][16][17][18] mixtures of water with ethanol, methanol, or acetone [19,20] Betalains, located in vacuoles [21] betacyanins structural types: betanin gomphrenin amaranthin ougainvillein -betaxanthins: indicaxanthin vulgaxanthin I [21] -nitrogen-containing, betalamic acid condenses with imino compounds (cyclo-DOPA/its glucosyl derivates) or amino acids/derivates [21] -water soluble [21] -heat-sensitive molecules [21] -stable between pH 3 and 7 [22] -yellow betaxanthins-less stable than their red counterparts [23,24] -betacyanins exhibit more peroxidase activity than betaxanthins [25] -metal cations (Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Sn 2+ , Al 3 + , Cr 3+ , Cu 2+ ) accelerate betanin degradation [26][27][28] yellow to violet [21] Ullucus Tuberosus Caldas, [29] Basella rubra L., [30] cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. and Oxalis stricta L.), [31][32][33][34][35] red-purple pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus (Weber) Britton & Rose), [32,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41] Amaranthus L. species [22,[41][42][43][44] precooled water or aqueous methanol [21] Chlorophylls -6 types identified (a, b, c, d, e, f) [45] -major types: chlorophyll a chlorophyll b [45,46] -porphyrins-macrocyclic tetrapyrrole pigments [35] with coordinated magnesium in the center hydrophobic segment (the phytol) and macrocycle (hydrophilic part) [24] -fat soluble [47] -chemically unstable molecule [48] -degradation by light, heat, oxygen, acid, enzymes [49] -chlorophyll a is less thermally stable than the chlorophyll b [50][51][52] from blue-green (a) to yellowgreen (b) [46] -photosynthetic organisms (plants, eukaryotic and blue-green algae) [53] organic solvents [54] (Continued) ...
... capitata f. rubra) [15][16][17][18] mixtures of water with ethanol, methanol, or acetone [19,20] Betalains, located in vacuoles [21] betacyanins structural types: betanin gomphrenin amaranthin ougainvillein -betaxanthins: indicaxanthin vulgaxanthin I [21] -nitrogen-containing, betalamic acid condenses with imino compounds (cyclo-DOPA/its glucosyl derivates) or amino acids/derivates [21] -water soluble [21] -heat-sensitive molecules [21] -stable between pH 3 and 7 [22] -yellow betaxanthins-less stable than their red counterparts [23,24] -betacyanins exhibit more peroxidase activity than betaxanthins [25] -metal cations (Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Sn 2+ , Al 3 + , Cr 3+ , Cu 2+ ) accelerate betanin degradation [26][27][28] yellow to violet [21] Ullucus Tuberosus Caldas, [29] Basella rubra L., [30] cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. and Oxalis stricta L.), [31][32][33][34][35] red-purple pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus (Weber) Britton & Rose), [32,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41] Amaranthus L. species [22,[41][42][43][44] precooled water or aqueous methanol [21] Chlorophylls -6 types identified (a, b, c, d, e, f) [45] -major types: chlorophyll a chlorophyll b [45,46] -porphyrins-macrocyclic tetrapyrrole pigments [35] with coordinated magnesium in the center hydrophobic segment (the phytol) and macrocycle (hydrophilic part) [24] -fat soluble [47] -chemically unstable molecule [48] -degradation by light, heat, oxygen, acid, enzymes [49] -chlorophyll a is less thermally stable than the chlorophyll b [50][51][52] from blue-green (a) to yellowgreen (b) [46] -photosynthetic organisms (plants, eukaryotic and blue-green algae) [53] organic solvents [54] (Continued) ...
In recent years, the replacement of synthetic colorants with natural ones has attracted increasing consumers’ and market interest. Natural colorants include different groups of pigments, many of which possess also pronounced biological potential. This review addresses the main issues related to the use of natural pigments in foods, starting from the sources available in nature, their chemical properties, stabilization processes, and applications in real foods, as discussed in the scientific literature reported in the main databases relevant to this topic (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar). Notably, several natural pigments are available to cover different needs in terms of hues and intensities, and whose use is permitted in foods by the main regulatory agencies. However, their use is still frequently limited by their higher price and lower stability than synthetic counterparts. This review discusses in detail the main sources for natural pigments, focusing on the recent trends towards those more economically favorable, such as microbial sources and agro-industrial residues. It also examines the most suitable stabilization systems to protect the highly reactive and unstable molecules of natural pigments from negative physical and chemical changes, as well as to minimize the interactions with food systems.
... En plus, la surproduction pendant la période estivale, les hautes températures d'été, la non organisation professionnelle, l'intervention des intermédiaires, l'insuffisance de l'infrastructure relative aux centres de collecte, de conditionnement et de stockage frigorifique des fruits, la compétitivité vis-à-vis des autres fruits de saison sont autant de facteurs qui conduisent à une perte importante de la production estimée à 40 % perdue sur l'arbre (Dehbi et al., 2000). Après la récolte, les fruits de cactus sont très périssables et sensibles à toute attaque microbienne principalement les levures et les bactéries mésophiles (Markus et al, 2006). Devant cette situation, la transformation et la recherche de procédés de conservation demeurent une condition préalable pour éviter les pertes après récolte (Markus et al, 2006). ...
... Après la récolte, les fruits de cactus sont très périssables et sensibles à toute attaque microbienne principalement les levures et les bactéries mésophiles (Markus et al, 2006). Devant cette situation, la transformation et la recherche de procédés de conservation demeurent une condition préalable pour éviter les pertes après récolte (Markus et al, 2006). L'objectif de ce travail est de déterminer les conditions optimales de conservation du fruit de figuier de barbarie en vue de prolonger sa durée de vie et de préserver sa qualité après récolte. ...
... Principales caractéristiques physiques et physico-chimiques des fruits de figuier de barbarie (Opuntia spp.)(Markus et al., 2006). ...
La présente étude a pour objectif de déterminer les conditions optimales de conservation des fruits de figuier de barbarie en vue de préserver leur qualité en post-récolte. Pour ce faire, des fruits de figuier de barbarie représentant les types Achefri (Opuntia mégachanta) et Aissa (Opuntia ficus-indica) ont été récoltés à trois stades de maturité différents et stockés à 4, 8 et 15°C pour des durées de 15, 30 et 45 jours. L’évolution de certains paramètres physiques (couleur de l’écorce et de la pulpe, perte de poids), et physico-chimiques (pH, acidité titrable et taux de sucre de jus) ainsi que les désordres physiologiques et pathologiques (chilling injury et dégâts de pourriture) a été suivie au cours de ce stockage. Le stockage des fruits de maturité moyenne et à température de 8°C semble être le meilleur traitement parmi les traitements testés. Il a permis de prolonger la durée de stockage jusqu’à 30 jours sans aucun effet dépressif sur la qualité des fruits.
... [5][6][7][8]. Cactus fruit contains good amount of vitamins, minerals, phenolic content and possess significant amount of antioxidant capacity [9][10][11][12][13]. The diet rich in prickly pear cactus showed positive correlation with reduced risk of diseases associated with oxidative stress, such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases [14]. ...
... L*, a* and b* value for orange yellow pulp of cactus pear fruits was 30.60, 1.6 and 10.90 resepctively while for red pulp, L* was25.00, a* was 6.9 and b* was 2.10 [9]. Moisture content of cactus fruits in the present study was nearer to the moisture content reported by Chauhan et al. (2013) [3]. ...
... The cactus fruit (Opuntia spp.), also known as the Prickly pear, is available in about 200 to 300 species. Cactus fruit is grown mainly in arid and semiarid zones because it is a plant, which needs very low water for growth (Mobhammer et al., 2006) [12] . For fruit production, most of the cultivated species are Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia xoconostle, and Opuntia megacantba. ...
... The cactus fruit (Opuntia spp.), also known as the Prickly pear, is available in about 200 to 300 species. Cactus fruit is grown mainly in arid and semiarid zones because it is a plant, which needs very low water for growth (Mobhammer et al., 2006) [12] . For fruit production, most of the cultivated species are Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia xoconostle, and Opuntia megacantba. ...
Cactus fruit (Prickly pear) is popular for its medicinal properties and health benefits. Cactus fruit is used
for anti-diabetic effect, anti-cancerous effect, antiviral effect, anti-inflammatory effect, and
hypercholesterolemia effect. It is a rich source of minerals like iron, calcium and potassium, vitamins,
and antioxidants like betalains. It is necessary to preserve the vitamins, antioxidants, and bioactive
compounds of nutritive fruit. Hot air drying is a common method for preserving such fruits with their
compounds. Steam blanching is used as a pre-treatment to inactivate enzymes and improve the quality of
the final dried product. Proximate, chemical and nutritional compositions were analysed for cactus fruit
and mint. Steam blanching treatment was used for inactivation of PME (Pectin-methylesterase) enzyme,
which is responsible for the hydrolysis of pectin. Steam blanching was carried out at 96±2 °C for the
enzyme inactivation. After blanching, cactus fruits were dried in hot air dryer at three different
temperatures (45, 50, 55 °C) till it achieved 7% moisture (w.b.) and drying time for each temperature was
recorded. The temperature for drying was selected on the basis of minimum drying time, maximum total
betalain content and maximum total antioxidant activity. Cactus fruit contained 30.44±0.1 mg/100 g of
total betalain content, 10.25±0.06 mg/100 g of vitamin C, 40.21±0.05 mM/100 g of total antioxidant
activity, 1.87 mg/100 g of iron, 563.20 mg/100 g of calcium, 51.80 mg/100 g of phosphorous, 485.80
mg/100 g of potassium and 175.60 mg/100 g of magnesium and 1.11±0.04 % of protein. Hot air drying
temperature of 50 °C was optimized based on statistical analysis.
... Despite the presence of amino acids and reducing sugars, no Maillard browning was observed in concentrated juice suitable for coloring foodstuff, obtained at pilot-plant scale from typical operations for juice production [111,112] or storage [111]. Additionally, juice treated with high hydrostatic pressure HHP at 550 Mpa increased betalain concentrations compared with traditional heat treatment [113]. ...
... Despite the presence of amino acids and reducing sugars, no Maillard browning was observed in concentrated juice suitable for coloring foodstuff, obtained at pilot-plant scale from typical operations for juice production [111,112] or storage [111]. Additionally, juice treated with high hydrostatic pressure HHP at 550 Mpa increased betalain concentrations compared with traditional heat treatment [113]. ...
The use of Opuntia ficus-indica fruits in the agro-food sector is increasing for a multiplicity of players. This renewed interest is, in part, due to its organoleptic characteristics, nutritional value and health benefits. Furthermore, industries from different sectors intend to make use of its vast array of metabolites to be used in different fields. This trend represents an economic growth opportunity for several partners who could find new opportunities exploring non-conventional fruits, and such is the case for Opuntia ficus-indica. O. ficus-indica originates from Mexico, belongs to the Cactaceae family and is commonly known as opuntia, prickly pear or cactus pear. The species produces flowers, cladodes and fruits that are consumed either in raw or in processed products. Recent publications described that consumption of the fruit improves human health, exhibiting antioxidant activity and other relevant pharmacological activities through enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms. Thus, we provide a systematic, scientific and rational review for researchers, consumers and other relevant stakeholders regarding the chemical composition and biological activities of O. ficus-indica fruits.
... Kaktüs armut meyvesi önemli bir şeker, mineral ve prebiyotik lif kaynağıdır. Ayrıca tokoferoller, arotenoidler, flavonoidler, fenolik asitler, taurin ve vitaminler (A, B6, C, E ve K) gibi biyolojik aktiviteye sahip çeşitli bileşikler içermektedir [3,4,5,6]. Daha önce yapılan bilimsel çalışmalarda kaktüs armut meyvesinin içerdiği bileşiklerden dolayı anti-inflamatuar, anti-kanserojenik, anti-ülserojenik, hipokolesterolemik, hipoglisemik, hepatoprotektif ve bağışıklık uyarıcı özelliklere sahip olduğu gösterilmiştir [4,5,6,7,8,9]. Ülkemizde yüksek lif içeriğinden dolayı kilo kontrolünde ve bağırsak problemlerinde, meyve ve yapraklardaki yoğun su oranından dolayı cilt kurumalarına karşın nemlendirici olarak, kolesterol ve kan şekeri seviyesinin kontrolünde, vitamin içeriğinden dolayı üst solunum yolu hastalıklarının tedavisinde ve rahatlatıcı özelliğe sahip riboflavin içeriğinden dolayı stres koruyucu olarak kullanılmaktadır. ...
... Ayrıca tokoferoller, arotenoidler, flavonoidler, fenolik asitler, taurin ve vitaminler (A, B6, C, E ve K) gibi biyolojik aktiviteye sahip çeşitli bileşikler içermektedir [3,4,5,6]. Daha önce yapılan bilimsel çalışmalarda kaktüs armut meyvesinin içerdiği bileşiklerden dolayı anti-inflamatuar, anti-kanserojenik, anti-ülserojenik, hipokolesterolemik, hipoglisemik, hepatoprotektif ve bağışıklık uyarıcı özelliklere sahip olduğu gösterilmiştir [4,5,6,7,8,9]. Ülkemizde yüksek lif içeriğinden dolayı kilo kontrolünde ve bağırsak problemlerinde, meyve ve yapraklardaki yoğun su oranından dolayı cilt kurumalarına karşın nemlendirici olarak, kolesterol ve kan şekeri seviyesinin kontrolünde, vitamin içeriğinden dolayı üst solunum yolu hastalıklarının tedavisinde ve rahatlatıcı özelliğe sahip riboflavin içeriğinden dolayı stres koruyucu olarak kullanılmaktadır. ...
Kaktüs armut bitkisi (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) yetiştiği coğrafya ve iklim koşulları nedeniyle sıcaklığa ve kuraklığa toleransı oldukça yüksek olan bir kaktüs türüdür. Bu kaktüs türünün bozulmaya başlayan kladotları ve meyveleri mayaların ve diğer mikroorganizmaların çoğalabilmesi için uygun alan oluşturmaktadır. Maya hücreleri stres koşullarında stres metaboliti olarak trehaloz ve glikojen biriktirir. Çalışmamızda kaktüs armut meyvesinden stres dirençli maya türlerinin izole edilerek moleküler yöntemlerle tanımlanması ve depo karbonhidrat birikimlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlandı. Termotolerant ve osmotolerant maya suşlarının moleküler tanımlanmasında 26S rDNA-D1/D2 gen bölgesinin dizi analizi kullanıldı. Stres dirençli maya suşlarının trehaloz ve glikojen birikimleri stres koşullarında enzimatik olarak belirlendi. İzole edilen K. marxianus, K. lactis ve P. kudriavzevii maya türlerine ait tüm maya suşlarının termotolerant ve osmotolerant maya suşları olduğu gözlendi. K. marxianus ve K. lactis maya türünde stres metaboliti olarak glikojenin P. kudriavzevii maya türünde ise trehalozun tercih edildiği belirlendi. Diğer izole edilen A. pullulans, H. opuntiae ve P. kluyveri türlerine ait maya suşları arasında stres toleransının ve depo karbonhidratın stresin derecesine ve çeşidine bağlı olarak değiştiği tespit edildi. İzole edilen K. marxianus ve K. lactis maya suşlarının süt ürünleri endüstrisinde, P. kudriavzevii maya suşlarının ise biyoetanol ve fermentasyon endüstrisinde kullanımı için uygun potansiyele sahip oldukları değerlendirildi.
... Opuntia cacti (Illoldi-Rangel et al., 2012). Among the cacti, O. ficus-indica Mill. is one of the most important and its tasty fruit and cladodes serve as forage and as a green vegetable (Moßhammer et al., 2005). Its use has increased steadily since the early 17 th Century with the introduction of livestock in semiarid areas and the subsequent decline of grasslands. ...
... In addition, Opuntia species are considered to be a good and economic alternative for feeding goats, sheep and cattle when forage availability is low due to low rainfall or drought (Cordeiro Dos Santos and Gonzaga De Albuquerque, 2003;Felker, 2003). As a native plant of Mexico Opuntia is used for forage production in the Comarca Lagunera region located between the two states of Coahuila and Durango, Mexico (Moßhammer et al., 2005). ...
Opuntia has been long cultivated for forage, as well as for human consumption. The objectivewas to evaluate yield, thickness, length and width of cladodes of Opuntia while in the soil, pH,electrical conductivity, organic matter and nitrates were evaluated. The experiment wasconducted during three years 2008, 2009 and 2010 through a completely randomized blockdesign with factorial arrangement with three replications. The factors were doses of organicfertilizer (0, 20, 40, 60 t ha-1) and one inorganic fertilizer as control 100-100-0 kg ha-1 of N, Pand K, respectively and planting densities (4,435, 8,871, 8,887 and 13,323 plants ha-1) withdifferent topological arrangements. The results showed greatest yield at 60 t ha-1 in 2009 and2010. In 2008, yield was greater at 60 t ha-1 but was not significantly greater than 40 t ha-1,however was greatest than control. All plant variables were greatest at 60 t ha-1, although insome cases not significantly different from other dosages. For all 3 years, pH, electricalconductivity, organic matter and nitrate content at 60 t ha-1 and 13,323 plants ha-1 wereunacceptable ranges and were not significantly worse than inorganic fertilizer, dosages orplanting densities. In conclusion, organic fertilizer is an option to avoid use of non-organicfertilizers in order to improve Opuntia production as well as maintaining soil quality.
... The red prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) is a fruit of the cactus family that has a diversity of shapes, sizes, and colors, such as white, yellow, red, and purple (Moßhammer et al., 2006b). The red prickly pear has an approximate weight of 150.5 g, with dimensions of 5.8 × 5.3 × 9.0 cm. ...
... The red prickly pear has an approximate weight of 150.5 g, with dimensions of 5.8 × 5.3 × 9.0 cm. This fruit can be considered a rich source of a large number of components, such as sugars, vitamin C, pigments, and minerals such as Ca, Na, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Se (Moßhammer et al., 2006b). Some studies have shown that red prickly pear, when consumed, can protect against oxidative damage (Galati et al., 2003;Gurrieri et al., 2000), has hypocholesterolemic properties, and can inhibit stomach ulceration, in addition to having anti-inflammatory effects (Galati et al., 2003(Galati et al., , 2007, hypoglycemic effects and antidiabetic properties. ...
Extrusion cooking is a process that involves feeding, mixing, and cooking material at a high temperature for a short time to obtain a wide variety of products. The final product characteristics depend mainly on variables such as mixing speed, barrel temperature, feed moisture content, and system pressure. One of the most critical variables that influence the characteristics and quality of the product is the mixture’s composition. Several ingredients have been used in mixture formulation to improve nutritional quality and physical characteristics that increase the extruded products’ acceptability. Among the ingredients are grains, vegetables, and fruits applied as extracts, concentrates or powders. A fruit interesting for its composition is a prickly pear, with properties that can be used to develop novel and/or functional food or a clean label product. The red prickly pear contains flavonoid-type phenolics and betalain pigments, which give it an intense red-purple color that can be used to color food. These constituents give the fruit functional properties; however, both are heat-labile compounds, and therefore, their use in the formulation of extruded products must be tested. The addition of prickly pear reduces the extrudates’ density and expansion and the water absorption capacity as the prickly pear content increases. In contrast, characteristics such as bulk density, texture (hardness and crispness), and color parameters increase as the prickly pear content increases. Although the addition of prickly pear impacts the most physical characteristics, such as the color and texture parameters of extrudates, the addition of a moderate amount of prickly pear powder in the formulation of extruded cereals is accepted by consumers, especially for the resulting color in the products. During extrusion cooking, pigments are lost due to temperature, wherein betaxanthin is more sensitive to the increase in temperature. Other compounds affected during extrusion cooking are phenolics, although some studies have shown that the specific content of flavonoids remains similar to the raw mixture’s content. Likewise, by decreasing the betalain and phenolics’ content, extrusion cooking decreases the antioxidant activity they provide. Although the level of reduction of the compounds depends on the specific conditions under which the process is carried out, the use of red prickly pear, as pulp or powder, in the formulation of extruded foods can allow the elimination of synthetic dyes from cereals or snacks, improving the functional properties of food. This chapter addresses essential aspects of extrusion cooking and describes the effects of the main process variables on bioactive compounds’ stability and other physicochemical properties in extruded products based on prickly pear.
... It is important to clarify that information on the physicochemical parameters for prickly pear peel residues is scarce. However, we can cite some similar works on the cactus cladode [8,10,[46][47][48]. Due to the high sugar content and other compounds, this substrate can be used as support in the solid-state fermentation process. ...
Prickly pear peel (Opuntia ficus-indica) residues can be used as a substrate in solid-state fermentation to obtain bioactive compounds. The kinetic growth of some Aspergillus strains was evaluated. A Box–Hunter and Hunter design to evaluate the independent factors was used. These factors were temperature (°C), inoculum (spores/g), humidity (%), pH, NaNO3 (g/L), MgSO4 (g/L), KCl (g/L), and KH2PO4 (g/L). The response factors were the amount of hydrolyzable and condensed tannins. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of fermentation extracts was evaluated. Aspergillus niger strains GH1 and HT3 were the best for accumulating tannins. The humidity, inoculum, and temperature affect the release of hydrolyzable and condensed tannins. Treatment 13 (low values for temperature, inoculum, NaNO3, MgSO4; and high values for humidity, pH, KCl, KH2PO4) resulted in 32.9 mg/g of condensed tannins being obtained; while treatment 16 (high values for all the factors evaluated) resulted in 3.5 mg/g of hydrolyzable tannins being obtained. In addition, the fermented extracts showed higher antioxidant activity compared to the unfermented extracts. Treatments 13 and 16 showed low inhibition of E. coli, Alternaria sp., and Botrytis spp. The solid-state fermentation process involving prickly pear peel residues favors the accumulation of condensed and hydrolyzable tannins, with antioxidant and antifungal activity.
... Duru and Turker (2005) reported that the mass of the fruit of cactus pear genotypes ranged from 80 to 120 g, and El Finti et al. (2013) also reported that the fruit mass ranged between 80.60 and 108.55 g. Several studies found that the cactus pear genotypes had an edible pulp ratio between 39% and 64% (Fleker et al. 2022;Mobhammer et al. 2006). El-Said et al. (2010) reported that the average flesh ratio was 47.2%. ...
The interest in wild edible fruit species has increased around the world, especially in Türkiye in recent years. One such fruit species is the cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.), which is widely grown throughout the Mediterranean basin and has gained economic importance. In this study, we described an important sensory, morphological (including plant growth habit, fruit mass, fruit firmness, fruit skin color, fruit shape index, skin color homogeneity, flesh percentage, and marketable fruit ratio), biochemical (including vitamin C content, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solid content, crude fiber content, total carotenoid content, and total phenol content), and antioxidant characteristics of the fruits of 12 pre-selected cactus pear genotypes with different skin colors sampled from the Mersin province in the eastern Mediterranean region of Türkiye. The 12 cactus pear genotypes examined showed differences in most sensory, morphological, biochemical, and antioxidant features. Although the dominant skin color of the fruit was orange, genotypes with yellow and even red skin colors were also present. Cactus pear genotypes showed fruit mass between 78.14 and 133.22 g and fruit firmness between 7.73 and 11.63 N. For biochemical traits, the genotypes exhibited SSC (Soluble Solid Content) between 11.10% and 15.02%, vitamin C content between 9.22 mg/100 g and 15.22 mg/100 g, crude fiber content between 0.84% and 1.12%, and total carotenoid content between 2.54% and 3.20%. Due to their attractive horticultural characteristics, active components, and ease of cultivation, cactus pear plants and fruits might be valuable in the future.
... The three most important types are produced in Italy and Spain. In South African kinds, cladodes with a variety of shapes exist, while in Chile, a popular variety of fruit is green in color, even when it is ripe [3,4]. The color shades of OFI fruits are generally red, orange, magenta, and lime green. ...
The beneficial nutrients and biologically active ingredients extracted from plants have received great attention in the prevention and treatment of several diseases, including hypercholesterolemic, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, edema, joint pain, weight control, eye vision problems, neuroprotective effects, and asthma. Highly active ingredients predominantly exist in fruit and cladodes, known as phytochemicals (rich contents of minerals, betalains, carbohydrates, vitamins, antioxidants, polyphenols, and taurine), which are renowned for their beneficial properties in relation to human health. Polyphenols are widely present in plants and have demonstrated pharmacological ability through their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant capacity, and the multi-role act of Opuntia Ficus Indica makes it suitable for current and future usage in cosmetics for moisturizing, skin improvement, and wound care, as healthful food for essential amino acids, as macro and micro elements for body growth, in building materials as an eco-friendly and sustainable material, as a bio-composite, and as an insulator. However, a more comprehensive understanding and extensive research on the diverse array of phytochemical properties of cactus pear are needed. This review therefore aims to gather and discuss the existing literature on the chemical composition and potential applications of cactus pear extracts, as well as highlight promising directions for future research on this valuable plant.
... Recently, a successful industrial process for juice production from Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. has been established, opening up the possibility of commercial use of this plant species from semi-arid areas (Mosshammer et al., 2006;Mosshammer et al., 2007). ...
The application of artificial colors in practice has shown many negative effects on food safety and human health. Allergic reactions to artificial colors are very common, especially in children. Some research suggests that prolonged use of artificial colors can be the cause of cancer. Betaine is one of the most widespread groups of plant pigments, which is increasingly being researched in recent times. Therefore, the use of cheap plant pigments such as betaine is important. They are safe for use in food and have good biological and pharmacological properties. Some of them have an antioxidant, antimicrobial, antilipidemic, anticancer role. They can be used in food instead of anthocyanins. Some properties are beneficial to our health due to which they can be used to enhance the flavor and color of ice-cream, jellies, jams, desserts, sauces, sweets, tomato paste, breakfast cereals.
... Opuntia ficus-indica known as 'Indian fig opuntia,' 'cactus pear,' or 'prickly pear,' is a member of the family Cactaceae. It originated from the Mediterranean, Mexico, South America, and California (Felker et al. 2005(Felker et al. , 2002Moßhammer et al. 2006;Piga 2004;Silva et al. 2021). The fruit, which consists of about 85% water, contains 10-15% carbohydrates and 0.025-0.030% ...
Cactus pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica) have nutritional and antioxidant properties due to the presence of vitamins, fibers, minerals, and polyphenols. The present paper aims to examine the effects of drying methods (sun, oven, vacuum, and freeze) on the bioactivity and antimicrobial quality of prickly pear fruit. Total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant (DPPH) and antimicrobial activity, mineral content, phenolic compounds, and color values were investigated. The highest antioxidant activity (DPPH) and color values were observed in the freeze-dried samples, which were very close to the values for fresh samples. The total phenolic content (TPC) of the freeze-dried sample was 503.53 mg GAE/100 g. The most abundant phenolic compound was p-hydroxybenzoic acid (210 ppm) identified in fresh and freeze-dried fruit extract, which may be more effective antimicrobials than the rest. The mineral content of freeze- and vacuum-dried samples was very close to that of fresh fruit. This study indicates that freeze-drying of prickly pear fruit improved the bioactive and antimicrobial properties without leading to nutritional loss.
... The fruit having the moisture content of 85%, 0.3% ash, 15% sugar and 1% protein are sweet to taste with no specific aroma. The fruit contribute about 50 kcal per 100 g of energy (Mohamed-Yasseen et al. 1996;Mobhammer et al. 2006). Opuntia fruit are known for their antioxidant activity, which can be contributed to various components like carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds (Patil and Dagadkhair 2019). ...
The peel, pulp and seeds of prickly pear fruits contained 84.3%, 82.98% and 5.78% moisture, respectively. Total carotenoid and total flavonoid contents of prickly pear fruit parts ranged between 0.02 µg/kg (peel) and 1.11 µg/kg (seed) to 14.52 mg per 100 g (pulp) and 68.33 mg per 100 g (seed), respectively. Total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of prickly pear fruit parts were determined between 41.94 mg GAE per 100 g (seed) and 122.10 mg GAE per 100 g (peel) to 0.87% (pulp) and 1.68% (seed), respectively. In general, prickly pear fruit seed, peel and pulp are very rich in catechin and gallic acid. Gallic acid amounts of prickly pear fruit parts varied between 17.46 (pulp) and 27.70 mg per 100 g (peel). Catechin and rutin trihydrate contents of prickly pear fruit portions were identified between 36.74 (pulp) and 122.87 mg per 100 g (seed) to 1.35 mg per 100 g (peel) and 10.04 mg per 100 g (pulp), respectively. The prickly pear seed oil contained 11.99% palmitic, 3.51% stearic, 20.28% oleic and 62.50% linoleic acids.
... The Opuntia cactus is a xerophyte of about 200 to 300 species and grows mainly in arid and semiarid zones. Due to their remarkable genetic variability, Opuntia plants show a high ecological adaptivity and can therefore be encountered in places of virtually all climatic conditions (Moßhammer et al., 2006). The Opuntia ficus-indica L. is the most cultivated species of the genera. ...
The aim of this study is the extraction and the identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total phenolic compounds
of three Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., species from Morocco, namely Dellahia, Aissa and Shoul
... Arid and semi-arid regions are special areas for cultivating cactus fruits that are geographically distributed in Mexico, Latin America, South Africa, and Mediterranean countries (Butera et al., 2002). O. dillenii plants have a high environmental adaptivity and adapt to all climatic conditions due to their remarkable genetic (Moßhammer et al., 2006). Opuntia fruit is a berry with a delicately flavored juicy pulp that contains many hard seeds and has a thick pericarp (peel) of 30-40% of the fruit (Duru &Turker, 2005). ...
The present study aims to identify and characterize the chemical compounds present in the extracts of cactus pear Opuntia dillenii (OD) fruit which grow in southern Iraq and offer different health benefits. The physicochemical properties of the fruit juices (pulp and peels) were investigated. Fruit pulp and peel extracts carried the symbols: hexane pulp extract (HPuE), hexane peel extract (HPeE), ethanolic pulp extract (EPuE), and ethanolic peels extract (EPeE). The activel compound screened by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). HPuE and HPeE contained 40 bioactive compounds and 60 bioactive compounds were detected in EPuE and EPeE. The scavenging activity of DPPH free radicals records a high level of inhibition ranging from 34.8 to 90.3% for EPeE and from 32.9 to 89.9% for EPuE, while hexane extracts scavenging activities (HPeE and HPuE) were 24.9-78.9% and 20.7-73.3% respectively at concentrations of 20-80 µg.ml-1 this activity has received considerable attention because of their physiological functions.
... Arid and semi-arid regions are special areas for cultivating cactus fruits that are geographically distributed in Mexico, Latin America, South Africa, and Mediterranean countries (Butera et al., 2002). O. dillenii plants have a high environmental adaptivity and adapt to all climatic conditions due to their remarkable genetic (Moßhammer et al., 2006). Opuntia fruit is a berry with a delicately flavored juicy pulp that contains many hard seeds and has a thick pericarp (peel) of 30-40% of the fruit (Duru &Turker, 2005). ...
... Arid and semi-arid regions are special areas for cultivating cactus fruits that are geographically distributed in Mexico, Latin America, South Africa, and Mediterranean countries (Butera et al., 2002). O. dillenii plants have a high environmental adaptivity and adapt to all climatic conditions due to their remarkable genetic (Moßhammer et al., 2006). Opuntia fruit is a berry with a delicately flavored juicy pulp that contains many hard seeds and has a thick pericarp (peel) of 30-40% of the fruit (Duru &Turker, 2005). ...
The present study aims to identify and characterize the chemical compounds present in the extracts of cactus pear Opuntia dillenii (OD) fruit which grow in southern Iraq and offer different health benefits. The physicochemical properties of the fruit juices (pulp and peels) were investigated. Fruit pulp and peel extracts carried the symbols: hexane pulp extract (HPuE), hexane peel extract (HPeE), ethanolic pulp extract (EPuE), and ethanolic peels extract (EPeE). The activel compound screened by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). HPuE and HPeE contained 40 bioactive compounds and 60 bioactive compounds were detected in EPuE and EPeE. The scavenging activity of DPPH free radicals records a high level of inhibition ranging from 34.8 to 90.3% for EPeE and from 32.9 to 89.9% for EPuE, while hexane extracts scavenging activities (HPeE and HPuE) were 24.9-78.9% and 20.7-73.3% respectively at concentrations of 20-80 µg.ml-1 this activity has received considerable attention because of their physiological functions.
... Tuna wine -9.2% w/v Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lee et al. (2000) Tuna wine -55.3 mL/L Saccharomyces cerevisiae Moßhammer et al. (2006) ...
Opuntia spp. is a plant with great potential for developing biotechnological processes. Its rapid growth and adaptability to dry and semi-dry climates make the plant an excellent candidate to implement biotechnological processes to obtain by-products. Opuntia spp. is capable of storing large amounts of water in its cladodes which is the main biopolymer responsible for this is mucilage. This biopolymer comprises various sugars such as xylose, arabinose, and fructose. They have great potential to be used as raw material to formulate production and microbial growth media. Opuntia cladodes contain, according to their age, different concentrations of lignin and cellulose. The concentration of cellulose within cladodes increases depending on the age of the plant and this feature can be used to increase glucose concentration within the Opuntia hydrolyzates and improve the yields of by-products such as bioethanol. A highly important factor in the availability of monosaccharides within Opuntia hydrolyzates is the hydrolysis method. A great diversity of these methods has been described. However, the sugar yields are only increased when physical, chemical, and biological methods are used in combination. Using Opuntia spp. as raw material for obtaining sugars has several advantages, among them: its availability throughout the year, the low cost of cladodes and the low demand for plant care, making Opuntia excellent raw material for the implementation of biotechnological processes.
... The fruit also has a high content of free amino acids, particularly proline, glutamine, and taurine (Salim et al., 2009;Yahia & Mondragon-Jacobo, 2011;Slimen et al., 2016;Kumar et al., 2018;Garcia et al., 2020). The fruit is eaten fresh, processed into food, drink or as a source of natural colors, food supplements, cosmetic components (Mobhammer et al., 2006, Yahia & Saenz, 2011El-Neney et al., 2019), and pharmaceutical ingredients to treat several diseases (Galati et al., 2003a, b;Palumbo et al., 2003;Wolfram et al., 2003;El-Mostafa et al., 2014;Diaz et al., 2017). ...
Opuntia spp. are among the most important potential crops in the sustainable agricultural development of arid and semi-arid regions. They are mostly known as a fruit crop, and it is slowly achieving the status of the formal crop; however, there is an increased interest in Opuntia fruit and cladode production due to the great demand for human and animal nutrition in the global market. Fruit are harvested based on peel color, fruit size, fullness and flattening of the floral cavity or receptacle. They are non-climacteric and highly perishable with a short shelf life of few days under marketing conditions. Shelf life is mainly affected by decay, which is related to physical damages during harvest and handling. The fruit is also susceptible to chilling injury when exposed to a prolonged cold temperature below 9 °C. For harvested cladodes, the acid content and flavor may fluctuate significantly during the day and can also be affected by postharvest storage temperature. Therefore, to reduce decay, maintain quality, and prolong the shelf life of Opuntia fruit and cladode, this chapter will discuss on harvest methods, as well as postharvest physiology and technology of Opuntia species that are used for the production of fruit, as well as cladodes that are widely used as a type of vegetables for human nutrition, in addition to those used as forage for animal feed.
... The cactus pear can be considered as a fruit, or better, a plant that has many possibilities to be fully exploited. Diverse products can be obtained from both the fruit and the pads (Moßhammer et al., 2006a;Sáenz, 2000). The circular economy promotes the recovery of residues or waste and this plant is suitable also for this purpose, as has been explained in this chapter, which highlights the valuable ingredients such as colorants and coloring foods. ...
Food color is one of the most important attributes related to consumer acceptance. The growth in consumer trends for the preference of healthy food colorants, clean-label foods, and attractive appearance, among other factors, has driven the global market of natural colorants to rise in recent years. Cactus pear fruits (Opuntia sp.) are a good source of betalains, which are natural pigments that cover a wide range of colors: from red-purple betacyanins to yellow-orange betaxanthins, with each species possessing different pigments and contents. Betalains are water-soluble pigments and could replace artificial colors in food, many of which have been questioned as harmful for health. The extraction, stability, and application of pigments has recently received particular attention due to their appeal as a natural ingredient. Furthermore, they come from a species with a low water requirement, which is increasingly appreciated in the face of climate change that is affecting the planet. This chapter analyses the variation of betalain content according to the Opuntia species and the different types of colorants obtained from colored cactus pears, concentrated pulp and juices, coloring foods (a new concept introduced by the EU legislation), powders, microparticles, among others. The stability of betalains, a critical factor for their successful use in foods, depends both on the form the pigment is applied (i.e., as concentrated juice or microencapsulated) and on the food matrix in which it is applied. Although there are still many food matrices in which their application has not been studied there are forms of colorants that are sufficiently stable to be used in a variety of products. They are more stable in yogurt type matrices than in soft drink type matrices, with yellow-orange pigments also showing more stability than red-purple ones. Thus, a new source of natural pigments is making its way into a market that increasingly values healthy and environmentally friendly ingredients.
... The genus Opuntia may be used in the preparation of several food products, which include: marmalades, juices, jam, tea, beverages, milk-based drinks, flours, breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, gluten-free products, pigment, and pectin (Sawaya et al., 1983;Stintzing & Carle, 2005;Moβhammer et al., 2006;Leopoldo et al., 2012;Lefsih et al., 2017). While bread may be an excellent food carrier of added Opuntia spp. ...
Bread, basic food in many parts of the world, is usually prepared by mixing wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast in varying proportions. Apart from these primary components, incorporating functional ingredients that provide health benefits into bakery products has overgrown due to the increasing demands of consumers for functional food. Several studies have shown that bread, which contains functional ingredients, particularly dietary fiber, and antioxidants are associated with maintaining health and decreased risk of some chronic and degenerative diseases, obesity, inflammatory and aging. Many functional ingredients are derived from natural raw materials, cereal-milling by-products, fruit and vegetables, and their processing by-products, pseudocereals (buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth), legume flours, and oilseeds can be introduced in bread. Opuntia spp. derivatives are an attractive alternative to meet the actual trend for new sources used as a functional ingredient. Some research demonstrates that many parts of Opuntia spp. such as cactus pear fruits, stems (cladodes), and fresh mucilage have a vast potential to be used in bread making. Opuntia species include high values of dietary fiber, protein, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. These nutrients have a protective ability against cancer, cardiovascular disorders, hypercholesterolemia, inflammatory, obesity, and allergic diseases. Using Opuntia spp. derivatives can provide healthy bread with higher nutritional quality such as more protein content, ash, dietary fiber, phenolics, antioxidants, and oxidative stability than the wheat bread. However, the inclusion of fiber-rich ingredients, up to a certain level, impair dough rheology and bread quality, including sticky dough, reduced loaf volume, increased crumb hardness, and coarse texture dark-colored crumbs, and taste alterations. This chapter evaluates the impact of Opuntia spp. derivatives on the dough rheological properties as well as the physical, nutritional, technological, textural, and sensory aspects of bread.
... It produces cactus fruit, otherwise called as Cactus ficus which is purple in colour, fleshy nature and oval in shape. It is commonly named as Chapathi Balli in Tamil Nadu [10] . It produces sweet nutritionally rich edible fruit, tender cladodes of cactus which is used as a fresh green vegetable and salad. ...
Oxidative stress is initially generated by free radicals which makes electrons to paired with biological macromolecules in cells of healthy humans and induce DNA and protein damage. Infectious diseases are still a major threat to the public health despite of enormous development in the medical field. Nowadays various synthetic drugs became resistant to various infectious diseases. Therefore, various phytochemicals in medicinal plants are in use for the treatment of several oxidative stress related disease. In the present study, Cactus Pear was selected to analyze the phytoconstituents using aqueous extract. Phytochemicals like phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannin, saponin and glycosides was observed in aqueous extract of Cactus pears. Total flavonoids and phenolics content was also evaluated by aluminum chloride method and Folin's Ciocalteau methods respectively. Antioxidant and radical scavenging efficiency was evaluated by reducing power assay and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. An excellent reducing potential and radical scavenging activity was observed in aqueous extract of Cactus pear. Finally efficiency of Cactus pear against the growth of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from clinical isolates was evaluated. Aqueous extract of Opuntia ficus-indica exhibited excellent efficiency in anti-staphylococcal activity. Hence, based on the above studies, we could confirm that, O. ficus-indica could be used as a potential drug for the treatment of oxidative stress related diseases.
... It produces cactus fruit, otherwise called as Cactus ficus which is purple in colour, fleshy nature and oval in shape. It is commonly named as Chapathi Balli in Tamil Nadu [10] . It produces sweet nutritionally rich edible fruit, tender cladodes of cactus which is used as a fresh green vegetable and salad. ...
Oxidative stress is initially generated by free radicals which makes electrons to paired with biological macromolecules in cells of healthy humans and induce DNA and protein damage. Infectious diseases are still a major threat to the public health despite of enormous development in the medical field. Nowadays various synthetic drugs became resistant to various infectious diseases. Therefore, various phytochemicals in medicinal plants are in use for the treatment of several oxidative stress related disease. In the present study, Cactus Pear was selected to analyze the phytoconstituents using aqueous extract. Phytochemicals like phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannin, saponin and glycosides was observed in aqueous extract of Cactus pears. Total flavonoids and phenolics content was also evaluated by aluminum chloride method and Folin's Ciocalteau methods respectively. Antioxidant and radical scavenging efficiency was evaluated by reducing power assay and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. An excellent reducing potential and radical scavenging activity was observed in aqueous extract of Cactus pear. Finally efficiency of Cactus pear against the growth of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from clinical isolates was evaluated. Aqueous extract of Opuntia ficus-indica exhibited excellent efficiency in anti-staphylococcal activity. Hence, based on the above studies, we could confirm that, O. ficus-indica could be used as a potential drug for the treatment of oxidative stress related diseases.
... La pulpa de la tuna se emplea para preparar salsas, jarabes, bebidas alcohólicas y jugos, entre otros [9]. Además, el consumo de tunas anaranjadas se ha asociado con efectos positivos a la salud, debido a la presencia de betalaínas y polifenoles, ambos con actividad antioxidante [10,11]. ...
El mercado de colorantes naturales para alimentos está creciendo constantemente y el uso de colorantes sintéticos está siendo restringido en algunos países. Las betaxantinas de la pulpa de tuna anaranjada (Opuntia ficus-indica) podrían emplearse como una nueva fuente natural de pigmentos amarillos de naturaleza hidrosoluble, siendo la indicaxantina la principal betaxantina presente en la tuna anaranjada. Sin embargo, la indicaxantina es sensible a factores ambientales como luz, temperatura, pH o humedad. La tecnología de microencapsulación constituye una alternativa para estabilizar estos pigmentos. El secado por atomización y la maltodextrina son, la técnica y el agente encapsulante más empleados en este proceso, respectivamente. El objetivo de este trabajo fue optimizar las condiciones de la encapsulación de pulpa de tuna anaranjada mediante metodología de superficie respuesta (MSR). Se empleó un Diseño Composito Central más punto axial para optimizar las variables independientes temperatura del aire a la entrada del secador (T) y relación pulpa de tuna/maltodextrina (PT/MD). Las variables respuesta fueron Eficiencia de Encapsulación de indicaxantina (EE), Recuperación de indicaxantina (R) y Rendimiento (Y). La optimización se realizó utilizando MRS aplicando la función de optimización múltiple Deseabilidad (D) maximizando las tres variables respuesta.
... Twenty-eight NACs of interest belonging to five categories, namely, CDP, MRC, CADP, chlorophyll degradation products (CDPS), and aromatic amino acid cleavage substances (ACS), were determined (Croissant et al., 2009;Moßhammer et al., 2006;Martins et al., 2000;Shi and Liu, 1998) (Table 1). With 16 constituents, CDP is the largest class. ...
To understand the regional distributions of neutral aroma components (NACs) of interest in flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), samples from a single cured leaf lamina were taken at 48 distinct points with the help of a thin transparent plastic board. We investigated 28 NACs belonging to five categories, namely aromatic amino acid cleavage substances (ACS), cembratriendid alkyl degrading products (CADP), carotenoid degradation products (CDP), chlorophyll degradation products (CDPS), and Maillard reaction components (MRC), by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC–TOFMS) analysis. Geostatistical tools and statistical software were subsequently used to analyze the NAC contents. The results showed that the contents of all the five categories had high levels of significance at 0.01. The nugget effect value of the different NACs exceeded 75%, and the Kriging interpolation map showed a continuous spatial structure. Based on the NAC contents, it was clear that only one principal component had a characteristic value greater than 1 (at 4.9), which accounted for 87.81% of the total variation. With the help of the Management Zone Analyst software, the NACs of a single tobacco leaf were accurately divided into six zones after k-means cluster verification. Overall, these results provide valuable information that will improve the use of tobacco leaves in tobacco threshing and redrying. Moreover, the results suggest the approach described herein can also be used for analyzing the distributions of chemicals in leaves with structures similar to tobacco.
... Cactus pear fruit is generally consumed fresh, but it has also the potential to be processed into products like juices or jam [8]. The fruit has juicy pulp with numerous seeds immersed in it, surrounded by a thick peel with small spines [9]. Consumption and processing generate residues such as peels and seeds, which are nonedible portions of the fruit and represent 37% to 67% of the total weight [10]. ...
Recently, industry has been focusing on the development of new products made from food by-products in order to reduce and take advantage of food wastes. The objective of this study was to evaluate tablet formulations developed by mixing two commercial excipients, microcrystalline cellulose (M) and α-lactose-monohydrate (L), added with powder from residues (mesocarp and pericarp) of green and red (G and R) cactus pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill), having the following formulations: green with microcrystalline cellulose (GM), green with lactose (GL), red with microcrystalline cellulose (RM), and red with lactose (RL). The results showed lower disintegration times for the tablets with microcrystalline cellulose. The fiber functional properties presented good values for lipid and water holding capacity. There was a higher total phenolic content (TPC) in formulations with green cactus pear residue powder with microcrystalline cellulose and lactose (GM and GL, respectively), but the DPPH and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) values were higher in the formulations with red cactus pear residues (RM and RL), while ABTS values were similar among all formulations. In conclusion, tablets made from Opuntia residues are proposed as a product of interest for the food supplement industry because of the good quality parameters and the functional and antioxidant properties that they provide.
... Fruits of the cactus are usually consumed as food after peeling them when they are fresh. Moreover, they are used in the preparation of fruit juice, jelly, jam, sugar, coloring food, ice cream, and other foods, and also in cosmetics [16][17][18]. It is used for treating diabetes, burns, bronchial asthma, and indigestion in many countries in the world due to the strong antioxidant effects of its fruits [19]. ...
Ethnobotanical field surveys revealed the use of fruits of Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. for treating diabetes, burns, bronchial asthma, constipation, kidney stones, and rheumatic pains and as a sedative in Turkish folk medicine. This study aimed to verify the efficacy of the fruits of O. ficus indica experimentally and to define components responsible for the activity using bioassay-guided procedures. The crude methanolic extract of the fruits was sequentially fractionated into five subextracts: n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. Further experiments were carried out on the most active subextract, that is, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) subextract, which was further subjected to fractionation through successive column chromatographic applications on Sephadex LH-20. For activity assessment, each extract or fraction was submitted to bioassay systems; traction test, fireplace test, hole-board test, elevated plus-maze test, and open-field test were used for sedative and anxiolytic effects, and a thiopental-induced sleeping test was used for the hypnotic effect. Among the subextracts obtained from the methanolic extract, the EtOAc subextract showed significant sedative and anxiolytic effects in the bioassay systems. From the EtOAc subextract, major components were isolated, and their structures were determined as isorhamnetin, isorhamnetin 3-O-glucoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside, and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside using spectral techniques. In conclusion, this study confirmed the claimed use of the plant against anxiety in Turkish folk medicine.
... It is a good natural source of healthy components such as betalains, phenolic compounds, pectin (source of dietary fiber), vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. Hence one can say that cactus pears are increasingly gaining impetus both for health professionals and consumers (Moßhammer et al, 2006;El-Samahy et al, 2007). The fairly high sugar content and low acidity make prickly pear fruit very sweet and delicious and also put to different traditional and industrial uses (Saenz, 2000). ...
Prickly pear, an underutilized fruit in India is known for its functional benefits such as it boosts immunity, builds strong bones and teeth, maintains digestive health, enhances heart health, anti-carcinogenic effects, antioxidant potential, weight loss effects and suppresses inflammation. Gelatine based dessert was prepared using cactus pear juice and was compared with pectin based jellies prepared from the same juice. The loss in quality parameters was found lesser in gelatine based dessert than that in pectin jelly. Ascorbic acid analysis showed that the gelatine based dessert had more amount of ascorbic acid content as compared to pectin based jelly. The sensory evaluation was carried out to compare the consumer acceptance of gelatine based dessert and was observed that gelatine based dessert was sensorially superior than the pectin based jelly.
... Also, it is a good source of vitamins and amino acids. The pulp of cactus pear could be processed into many different products such as marmalades, jellies, natural sweeteners, wines and other alcoholic beverages, candies, canned, frozen fruit (Moßhammer et al., 2006;Matter et al., 2016). Therefore, the aim of this study was to utilize pomegranate and cactus pear juices as natural ingredients to improve the acceptability, antioxidant activity and nutritional value of fruit flavoured yoghurts. ...
... Betaxanthin stability has been studied in previous research on yellow cactus pear. Retention of betaxanthins during storage varies from 3 to 60%, as affected by matrix (juice, extract or powder), pH, presence of other compounds and temperature, as reported before (Fernandez-Lopez et al., 2012;Gandía-Herrero et al., 2010Moßhammer et al., 2006c). ...
The aim of this study was to obtain coloring foods from yellow-orange cactus pear pulp by vacuum concentration and freeze drying. Concentrated coloring food (VC) was obtained in a Büchi evaporator (30°C, 17 mbar) up to 45±1 °Brix and freezedried (FD) powders in a Shin BioBase FD5508 equipment, using maltodextrin as carrier in 1:1 ratio (pulp soluble solids/maltodextrin). The products were characterized and their stability tested in storage (23±2°C) for 30 days. Color parameters (L, a*, b*, C* and h°) were measured in a Hunter Lab Ultra Scan Pro and total color change (ΔE) was calculated. Betaxanthins were determined by HPLC. Betaxanthins and color degradation of both food colorants were evaluated in a softdrinks model during storage at 4±1°C. Betaxanthin contents were 256.53±4.81 and 263.76±5.21 mg indicaxanthin equivalents (IE) kg-1 in VC and FD, respectively. When VC and FD were compared with the fresh pulp, a visible color change was observed in both cases, of 39.2 and 43.1, respectively. In the VC, the decrease in betaxanthins was not significant during storage, but a perceptible color change (ΔE=15.0) was detected. However, betaxanthin content and color parameters showed no significant changes in FD colorant during storage (ΔE=5.6). Nevertheless, both food colorings showed good stability at room temperature. Regarding performance as colorants in the soft-drinks model, betaxanthin degradation was significant when both colorants were applied. Degradation rate constants for soft-drinks models (SVC and SFD) were k = 1.57×10-1±8.0×10-3 and 2.0×10-1±6.0×10-3 day-1, respectively, which were significantly different. Total color changes of 10.7 (soft drink with VC) and 15.7 (soft drink with FD) were reached at the end of storage. The results showed that FD could be used for coloring instant food (soup or soft-drink powders). VC shows potential for coloring food stored at low temperatures, e.g., chilled matrices such as yogurt or ice creams.
... The extraction of fatty acids from fruit seed residues and their transformation into biodiesel is another use of nopal. Each fruit has between 150 and 300 seeds, and the oil content ranges between 98 and 139 g kg -1 seed (Moßhammer et al., 2006); therefore, it is only profitable if associated with a fruit-processing industry (Sáenz and Sepúlveda, 2006), either pulps, juices or other products, in which the seeds are waste and the volume of which makes oil extraction of interest. In addition, the high price of oil in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries makes this alternative impractical. ...
The nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica), cultivated by smallholder farmers, is traditionally used for production of fruits, industrial products, forage and “cochinilla”. Cladodes can also be used for a number of other purposes. We evaluated other uses of nopal cladodes. One of the uses is for biogas production from anaerobic bio-digestion. The daily energy need for a rural family of five people can be met from 3.61 m3 day 1 biogas. Considering that 10 t ha 1 year 1 dried cladodes are produced and that 3 kg dried cladodes produce 1 m3 biogas, it is possible to obtain the biogas needed annually by the family from a 0.4-ha cactus plantation. This amount of biogas has an economic value of US$1078, using the price of commercial gas as a reference. Solid materials and liquid biofertilizer that contain nutrients and material can be obtained in biogas systems. One tonne of solid biofertilizer is equivalent to 40 kg urea, 50 kg potassium nitrate and 94 kg triple superphosphate. Assuming an average price of US$0.32 kg 1 fertilizer, each tonne of biofertilizer would be worth US$58.80. Also, dried and crushed cladodes can be used for direct burning or in combination with coal. It is also possible to obtain ethanol from the cladodes, but the production technology is more complex. On a larger scale, 8.6 L ethanol could be produced from 100 kg dried cladodes and 24.7 L ethanol from 100 kg dried fruits, for concentrations of ethanol above 98%. Another bioenergy use is the extraction of fatty acids from fruit seed residues and their transformation into biodiesel. Each fruit has between 150 and 300 seeds, and the oil content ranges between 98 and 139 g kg 1 seed.
The Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) prickly pear peel, is a residue product and was used as a substrate in solid-state fermentation (SSF) to obtain bioactive compounds of interest due to its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. A Box Hunter & Hunter design to evaluate the independent factors was used. These factors were temperature (°C), inoculum (spores/g), humidity (%), pH, NaNO3 (g/L), MgSO4 (g/L), KCl (g/L) and KH2PO4 (g/L). The response factors were hydrolyzable and condensed tannins amount. In addition, the fermentation extracts the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were evaluated. The results showed that the humidity (%), inoculum (spores/g) and temperature (°C) affect the release of hydrolyzable and condensed tannins. The treatments 13 and 16 were the best to accumulate condensed (43 mg/g) and hydrolyzable tannins (3.8 mg/g) respectively. Besides, the fermented extracts showed a higher antioxidant activity compared than the unfermented peel extracts, as well as a high inhibition versus E. coli, Alternaria sp. and Botrytis spp. The use of the fermentation process is a good alternative for the recovery of waste and the accumulation of bioactive molecules with potential industrial application.
The Cactus Opuntia spp. plant is important to Morocco's arid and semi-arid regions. The edible and cosmetic oil from prickly pear fruit seeds is very prized. Since Dactylopius Opuntiae first appeared in Morocco in 2014, hundreds of hectares of cactus have been devastated, causing environmental and socio-economic costs. Eight D. Opuntiae resistant varieties were selected, multiplied and transplanted throughout Morocco, as part of the government's nationwide cactus rehabilitation program. This research evaluated the production and fatty acid composition of the seed oil of these varieties. Oil extraction was carried out with the Soxhlet method using hexane and by mechanical screw press. The crude seed oil content obtained by hexane extraction ranged from 9.54% to 16.44% (w/w). Mechanical screw extraction recovered half the seeds' oil. The fatty acid profiles showed that the oils were highly unsaturated; UFA fraction represented 76.31 to 82.63% of total FA and UFA/SFA ratio of 3.48 to 5.36. Linoleic acid was the dominant and represented 61.50% to 68.35% of total FA. These results highlight the importance of cochineal-resistant cactus varieties as oil sources and alternatives to those destroyed and still threatened by the harmful scale pest that appeared in more than 20 countries.
Frenk inciri (Opuntia ficus-indica), güney bölgelerimizde doğal olarak yetişen, kaktüsgiller ailesinden bir meyvedir. Bu çalışmada, Adana ilinin Bucak ve Bozcalar köyleri ve Mersin ilinin Yanıkkışla, İncirgediği, Kırıt, Cırbıklar, Taşobası, Kumdere, Çokak ve Aladağ köylerinden oluşan bölgede doğal olarak yetişen frenk inciri popülasyonu incelenmiştir. Sörvey çalışması ile iri meyveli ve nispeten az dikenli olduğu değerlendirilen genotipler çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Seçilen genotiplerde bazı temel meyve özellikleri çalışılmıştır. Temel bileşen ve kümeleme analizi ile ümitvar genotipler belirlenmiştir. Genotiplerde meyve ağırlıklarının 67.40-138.00g, yenilebilir meyve ağırlıklarının 25.70-82.77g ve SÇKM değerlerinin %9.10-13.23 arasında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Kümeleme analizi sonucunda beş genotip ümitvar olarak öne çıkmıştır. Çalışma sonuçları Adana-Mersin il sınırındaki köylerde yetişen frenk inciri genotiplerinin meyve boyutları bakımından düşük varyasyon gösterirken, özellikle yenilebilir meyve ağırlığı bakımından yüksek varyasona sahip olduğu ve bu özelliğin sonraki çalışmalarda bir ayıraç olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir.
Cactus fruits have distinctive sensory characteristics and are highly nutritious. Despite that, these unconventional food plants are little used and undervalued in the Brazilian diet. Therefore, this work aims to observe Brazilian participants' perceptions and interest in cactus fruit consumption. Thus, an online survey was applied to identify these foods' frequency, motivation, and forms of consumption. To analyze consumers' perception, a free‐word association test about cactus fruits was carried out with the survey. The responses obtained from 611 participants revealed that few (36.8%) have already consumed it, motivated mainly by curiosity (41.4%). However, from the positive associations evidenced in the sensory test and the interest in experimenting (93.2%), it is observed that cactus fruits have a niche in the market due to their nutritional attributes and can be inserted fresh or as food products (e.g., jam/compote, juice, and ice cream) into the Brazilian diet.
Practical Applications
This study can promote the consumption and valorization of cactus fruits considering that they present nutritional characteristics beneficial to human health. Associated with Food and Nutritional Security, these fruits become an economically sustainable opportunity to be studied in new product development. Furthermore, the survey and the Free‐word Association Test can be used to guide the possible market niches with significant acceptance by the population. Thus, a profitable opportunity for consumption and marketing is evidenced, whether in nature, processed, or even new products, such as juices, teas, or bakery products.
Effect s of t he incorporat ion of cant aloupe pulp in yogurt : Physicochemical, phyt ochemical and rheolo… Hocine REMINI EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CONCENT RAT IONS OF PEACH, CHERRY, AND KIWI MARMALADE ON SOME PHY… IJBB pakist an Download a PDF Pack of t he best relat ed papers Abstract-Yoghurt is a coagulated milk product that results from the fermentation of lactose in milk by Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermphillus. The health benefits can be increased by adding native fruit pulps. Yoghurt with different fruit pulp includes papaya and cactus pear was prepared and stored up to 10 days. The fruit were added at the rate of 5%, 10% and 15%w/w. Physicochemical properties of yoghurt samples include moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate and ash were determined at first days of storage. Acidity, pH, syneresis, water holding capacity (WHC), total count, coliform group, yeast &mould and organoleptic properties were evaluated yoghurts at zero time, after 5 and 10 days of storage at refrigerator.There were significantly differences between plain yoghurt and fruit yogurt in the pH, moisture, ash, protein, carbohydrate content and titratable acidity amounts 5 day of storage. The results showed that acidity increased over the storage period. Highest values for WHC and lowest values for syneresis were belonged to yogurt with 15 % cactus pear and 10 days storage with 71.21% and 16.01%, respectively. Sensory evaluation results showed that there were significant differences among the yoghurt samples. The yoghurt containing papaya pulp had the highest overall acceptability scores as compare to other fruit yogurt samples and also plain yogurt. The results of current study demonstrated that the addition of fruits to the yogurt significantly improved the quality of yogurt.
Prickly pear plant is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid climates. Its fruits are rich in
polyphenols, proteins, vitamin C, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids. The oil extracted from the seeds also has a significant proportion of linoleic acid (ω6) and might be employed as a therapeutic raw material. The potential of enhancing fruit yield, increasing bioactive compounds of the fruit pulp, and improving the unsaturated fatty acid content of prickly pear oilseed by using the foliar application of brassinolide as a plant growth regulator was the main goal of this study. Prickly pear plants were foliar sprayed with a brassinolide solution at concentrations of 0, 1, 3, and 5 mg L−1
. The plant performance was significantly improved following brassinolide applications, as compared with untreated plants. The plants subjected to 5 mg L−1 application exhibited 183 and 188% stimulation in the fruit yield, and 167 and 172% in the seed yield for the first and second seasons, respectively. The highest concentration of phenolic, flavonoid, protein, vitamin C, and maximum antioxidant activity in the fruit pulp was observed following 5 mg L−1 brassinolide treatment. The oil yield has been increased by 366 and 353% following brassinolide at a 5 mg L−1 level over control plants. Linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids are the major components in prickly pear seed oil. Brassinolide foliar spraying induced an alternation in the fatty acid profile, as linoleic and oleic acids exhibited 5 and 4% higher following 5 mg L−1 application as compared with untreated plants. In conclusion, the treatment of 5 mg L−1 brassinolide improved the growth and quality of prickly pear plants by boosting fruit and seed yields, increasing active component content in the fruit pulp, improving mineral content, and increasing oil production and linoleic acid proportion.
The genus Opuntia has its place in order Caryophyllales of Angiosperms. This group of evergreen, succulent perennial plants belongs to the family Cactaceae. The Opuntia genus is native to Central America, having approximately 181 known species. These species flourish in dry, warmer, and open areas. They are cultivated throughout the world as not only vegetable, crop, and food products like jams, juices, and beverages but used as fodder and forage in Brazil, Mexico, Northern and southern Africa, and in Western Asia. In the early stage, the cladodes are tender and used as a vegetable source known as Nopales, while its fruit is obovoid to spheroidal known as tunas. It is juicy and fleshy used in candies. They are considered alternative natural medicine in diabetes, colon cancer, obesity, gastric ulcers, and coronary heart diseases. The Opuntia species hybridize easily in the wild, leading to continuous morphological variations results in misclassifications. The present study aims to complete the morphological description (qualitative and quantitative) of Opuntia species characterized by flattened cladodes called pads, covered with areoles with tiny detached spines known as glochids. The flowers are mostly yellow, cup-shaped, and lack true petals. The species showed noteworthy differences among color, length, the diameter of cladodes, spines per areole, flower, and fruit shape and color. The Opuntia genus is one of the most ignored plants’ genera, and this morphological characterization overcomes insufficient and inadequate knowledge for its species-level distinction.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer was ranked as the second leading cause of death. Research on natural products has recently received a lot of attention from health professionals for improving overall well-being and the prevention of diseases, including cancer. Many herbs have been screened for anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo as an alternative drug or in combination with chemotherapy. Opuntia spp. (prickly pear cactus) which belongs to the Cactaceae family is a xerophytic plant with 200–300 species. It is distributed worldwide and has great economic potential. Opuntia spp. fruits revealed to be promising natural sources for the production of functional products and the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents. Studies have demonstrated the cytotoxic effects of various parts of Opuntia (fruits), with or without peels and seeds, the cladodes or stems, and even the roots, on cancerous cell lines. The cactus pear fruit extract inhibits the proliferation of cervical, ovarian, and bladder cancer cell lines in vitro, and suppresses tumor growth in the nude mice ovarian cancer model in vivo. It was reported that the anticancer activity is mostly because of bioactive polysaccharides that induce cell apoptosis or cell cycle arrest and angiogenesis suppression with minor toxicity on normal cells. This chapter aims to study the anticancer activity of Opuntia spp.
Research on the processing of fruits (pears), stems, cladodes, and seeds of Opuntia spp. have been recently increased. The fruit of Opuntia spp. is considered as health-supporting food due to the variety of bioactive molecules in the fruit. The extraction of fruit juice from the fruits of Opuntia spp. is among the studies evaluated in this context. Fruit puree and juice production are one of the essential technologies. Juice extraction from different plant sources uses many techniques based on specific technologies. Some are classified as traditional methods, while others are called “new techniques or novel techniques”, which offer significant advantages to the juice industry. In this field, electrical treatment applications, high hydrostatic pressure, microwave heating, ultrasound, and membrane technique, which serve food research have been introduced in the literature. They have found a chance to be applied in the fruit juice industry but to a differing extent. Some are applied as a pretreatment before juice extraction or used simultaneously with traditional methods or individually, while others are used after juice extraction. These techniques used to provide an increase in fruit juice extraction efficiency and improve the quality characteristics of fruit juice products. These techniques are also utilized to ensure the microbial safety of juices and controlled bioactivity. In this chapter, recent studies on the use of new technologies for processing Opuntia spp. juice was evaluated, In addition, the impact of these technologies on the process efficiency and product quality and safety was discussed.
Sixteen volatile compounds of prickly pear fruits (Cv. yellow, red and white) were identified by GC/MS and quantified by GC/FID. Most of their aroma values were calculated using the threshold value of standard compounds determined in water by sensory analysis. (E)-2-hexen-1-ol and hexan-1-ol amounted to about 80% of the total weight of the extracts. However, the most important aroma contributors among the identified compounds were (E,Z)-2,6-nonadien-1-ol and 2-methylbutanoic acid methyl ester, which, though present in low quantities, pro-.
The biochemical characteristic of adaptation to drought in Opuntia Ficus-indica has been investigated in the present study. The research was conducted on young self-rooted plants of cactus pear cv "Gialla", irrigated or droughted from May 1993 to May 1994. Cladode size, fresh and dry weight, osmotic pressure, pH and titratable acidity, polyamines (PAs) , and abscissic acid (ABA) levels were recorded in tissues sampled in February and in May 1994, at different hours of the day. All the plants survived after a prolonged water stress, but drought affected cladode morphology and the never cladode production. Typical day night fluctuation in tissue pH and titratable acidity was observed in irrigated and water stressed plants both in winter (February) and in the growth season (May), but CAM activity decreased as the stress proceeded. ABA content increased as the season advanced and the highest levels of this hormone were observed in the droughted plants. Pas, levels were higher in irrigated plants and increased during night, together with the greatest accumulation of malic acid. Among Pas putrescine was the main represented polyamine, followed by spermidine and spermine. Only these two polyamines increased their concentrations in water stressed plant tissues.
The search for new sources of fats and oils is an ongoing process. By far, plant seeds are the most promising sources of oils for nutritional, industrial, and pharmaceutical purposes. The application of an oil for a particular purpose, however, is determined by its fatty acid and triglyceride compositions. No oil from a single source has been found to be suitable for all purposes, because oils from different sources have different fatty acid compositions. It is for this reason that the search for new sources for novel oils is so important. So far, a large number of plants have been analyzed, and some of these have been cultivated as new crops (Hirsinger, 1989). Another approach to develop novel oils is to produce new cultivars from already established oil crops. The development of low-erucic acid cultivars of Brassica is one good example (Downey and Robbelen, 1989). Other novel crops that are + nding greater utilization include hemp (Parker et al., 2003; Illingworth, 2004), crambe (Yaniv et al., 1991), sea buckthorn (Yang and Kallio, 2001), and cuphea (Isbell and Behle, 2003). In addition to the nutritional, industrial, and pharmaceutical uses of oil, the variation in fatty acid composition in plants has proven to be a useful tool in taxonomic and phylogenetic studies (Vickery, 1971).
Lactic acid fermentation of prickly pear extract (PPE) was performed by Lactobacillus rhamnosus LS, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Lactobacillus brevis. The PPE was pasteurized to eliminate indigenous microorganisms as well as to dissolve the partially insoluble pulp. The PPE fermented without yeast extract by L. rhamnosus LS exhibited 0.57? acidity and 3.5{\times}10^{8} CFU/mL bacteria count. With the addition of 0.2% edible yeast extract the PPE fermented by L. rhamnosus LS exhibited 1.15? acidity,2.7{\times}10^{9} CFU/mL bacteria count and 95.0% retention of red color. When 5? fructose syrup was added, the PPE fermented by L. rhamnosus LS had 1.09% acidity, 6.5{\times}10^{8} CFU/mL, and 97.7% retention of red color. With 1?3% (w/v) concentrations of starter, the PPE fermented by L. bulgaricus and L. brevis showed 0.97% and 0.65% acidities, respectively. The viable cell counts from L. rhamnosus LS fermentation were higher compared with those of other LAB. During cold storage at 4^{\circ}C, the viable cell count was well maintained for 3 weeks, but then rapidly decreased. The red pigment was highly stable during cold storage for 4 weeks. The pasteurized PPE fortified with 5% fructose syrup, 0.2% yeast extract, and 0.05% CaCO_3 was successfully fermented by inoculating with 3% LAB and incubating at 30^{\circ}C for 2 days. Both viable cell counts and the red color of the fermented PPE were well maintained during cold storage for 3 weeks.
Flavonoids are nearly ubiquitous in plants and are recognized as the pigments responsible for the colors of leaves, especially in autumn. They are rich in seeds, citrus fruits, olive oil, tea, and red wine. They are low molecular weight compounds composed of a three-ring structure with various substitutions. This basic structure is shared by tocopherols (vitamin E). Flavonoids can be subdivided according to the presence of an oxy group at position 4, a double bond between carbon atoms 2 and 3, or a hydroxyl group in position 3 of the C (middle) ring. These characteristics appear to also be required for best activity, especially antioxidant and antiproliferative, in the systems studied. The particular hydroxylation pattern of the B ring of the flavonoles increases their activities, especially in inhibition of mast cell secretion. Certain plants and spices containing flavonoids have been used for thousands of years in traditional Eastern medicine. In spite of the voluminous literature available, however, Western medicine has not yet used flavonoids therapeutically, even though their safety record is exceptional. Suggestions are made where such possibilities may be worth pursuing.
The West Asia/North Africa (WANA) region has winters with low and erratic rainfall; hot, dry summers; and characterized by high population growth, limited areas of arable land, harsh deserts, and limited water resources for irrigation development. The search for plant species with the ability to grow and produce in arid areas has been a permanent concern in most WANA countries. Such plants must successfully withstand water shortage, high temperature, and poor soil fertility. Cacti, particularly platyopuntias (Opuntia ficus-indica), can satisfy the requirements of a drought-resistant fodder. This chapter focuses on raising cactus fruits, particularly platyopuntias, for forage and fodder in the WANA region; discusses the use of cacti as fodder; and examines the integration of platyopuntias with other feed resources in the WANA region.
Many species of the Cactaceae produce edible fruits. Among the approximately 1,600 species in this family, the genus Opuntia has the most relevant role in agriculture. The cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica [L.] Mill.) is cultivated for fruit production in all continents except Antarctica. The main producing country is Mexico, with a production of over 345,000 tons fresh mass year⁻¹ on about 70,000 ha of specialized plantations. This chapter outlines the basics of cactus pear cultivation, including site selection, cultivars, harvesting, fruit productivity, and fruit quality, and also discusses the economic features, postharvest physiology, and postharvest fruit management.
Obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Direct influences of diet on obesity are obvious, however equally strong is the evidence that CVD is caused by and preventable by diet. A common link between these two conditions is insulin resistance (IR), characterised by elevated insulin levels due to an insensitivity to insulin's action postprandally. Recent research has highlighted the strong connection between IR and incidence and severity of CVD. IR is associated with the generation of very small dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) which confers a high risk for cardiovascular disease, more so than any previously identified risk factor for CVD. Given the clear correlation with IR, dietary approaches may be considered to be highly effective as a treatment strategy or preventative measure. This review concentrates on this newly discovered link between IR and CVD, and presents a balanced view of dietary measures which could contribute to corrections in insulin imbalances, responsiveness to insulin, and therefore reduce CVD incidence and obesity.
Plant sterols are an essential component of the membranes of all eukaryotic organisms. They are either synthesised de novo or taken up from the environment. Their function appears to be to control membrane fluidity and permeability, although some plant sterols have a specific function in signal transduction. The phytosterols are products of the isoprenoid pathway. The dedicated pathway to sterol synthesis in photosynthetic plants occurs at the squalene stage through the activity of squalene synthetase. Although the activity of 3-hydroxymethyl-3-glutaryl coenzyme A (HGMR) is rate-limiting in the synthesis of cholesterol, this does not appear to be the case with the plant sterols. Up-regulation of HGMR appears to increase the biosynthesis of cycloartenol but not the Delta(5)-sterols. A decline in sterol synthesis is associated with a suppression of squalene synthetase activity, which is probably a critical point in controlling carbon flow and end-product formation. The major post-squalene biosynthetic pathway is regulated by critical rate-limiting steps such as the methylation of cycloartenol into cycloeucalenol. Little is known about the factors controlling the biosynthesis of the end-point sterol esters or stanols. The commonly consumed plant sterols are sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol which are predominantly supplied by vegetable oils. The oils are a rich source of the steryl esters. Less important sources of sterols are cereals, nuts and vegetables. The nutritional interest derives from the fact that the sterols have a similar structure to cholesterol, and have the capacity to lower plasma cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Since the morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease have been dramatically reduced using cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins), the interest in plant sterols lies in their potential to act as a natural preventive dietary product. Stanols (saturated at C-5) occur in low amounts in the diet and are equally effective in lowering plasma cholesterol and do not cause an increase in plasma levels, unlike the sterols which can be detected in plasma. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.
The effect of initial oxidation on ascorbic acid browning has been studied in four kiwifruit juice concentrates and two model concentrates. Single strength kiwifruit juice and model solutions were aerated for varying lengths of time and then concentrated and stored at 20°C for 20 weeks. Increased initial oxidation of ascorbic acid in the kiwifruit juices and model solutions led to increased browning in the stored concentrates. In the oxidized samples, the time course of browning was characterized by a sharp initial phase over the first 2 weeks of storage, followed by a slower and steady rate of browning. The observed increases in browning and haze on storage were highly correlated to the loss of total ascorbic acid and total phenolics. The browning exhibited by the model concentrates was significantly lower than that of the juice concentrates at a similar level of initial oxidation, suggesting minor juice components make a major contribution to browning.
Three formulations with different proportions of cactus pear and quince pulp (F1: 100% cactus pear pulp: F2: 75:25 cactus pear: quince pulp; F3: 50:50 cactus pear: quince pulp) and citric acid (F1: 1.1%; F2: 0.7%; F3: no citric acid) were prepared and made into fruit sheets. The pulp blends, dried in a forced air tunnel dehydrator (57 degrees-60 degrees C; 6-8 h), had a moisture near 15-16% and a aw of 0.55-0.60. Formulation F3 had a significantly higher pH (4.2), lower acidity (1.32%) and lower vitamin C content than the other formulations. During storage none of the sensory characteristics studied showed significant differences. Formulation F2 had the best quality characteristics in appearance, texture, flavor and color. The acceptability at 90 days of storage was 5.7, 6.7 and 6.4 for F1, F2 and F3, respectively.
Cactus, a CAM plant, grows extensively in arid and semi-arid parts of the world. It possesses a very high water to dry matter conversion efficiency and has immense economic value as fruit, vegetable, fodder, medicine, etc. The importance of cactus pear as livestock feed has been discussed in detail, giving techniques for utilization as forage. Since the quality of the cactus cladodes does not deteriorate on storage and as they maintain green color as well as vitamin A level, they can provide an excellent source of fodder during the drought periods. The red/orange fruits of the cacti are edible, range in weight from 110 to 160 g and contain 12 to 15% sugar. The cladodes of the nopalito cacti are used as vegetable. Some of these types are known to reduce blood sugar level in the human body. Cactus pear is also a source of red cochineal dye and mucilage for binders and thickening agents. The status of recently introduced cactus pear clones in Indian arid and semi-arid regions has been discussed.
The aroma compounds present in the headspace of homogenized slurries of fresh prickly pears (Opuntia ficus indica) from Sicilian cultivars were determined. Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) followed by Gas-chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was used to characterize the volatile compounds. The volatile flavor profiles of the three cultivars investigated (red, white and yellow) showed significant differences. The aromatic profile of pealed prickly pears stored for one day was different from that of the fresh samples, mainly due to the occurrence of some oxidative and hydrolytic reactions.
The effects of the dried fruit powder of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OF-f) were investigated on gastric lesion and ulcer models in rats. It showed significant inhibition in HCl·ethanol and HCl·aspirin induced gastric lesion at a dose of 600 mg/kg, p.o. OF-f also showed significant inhibition in indomethacin induced gastric lesion at the doses of 200 and 600 mg/kg, p.o. However, it did not affect aspirin and Shay ulcer in rats. It also did not affect the gastric juice secretion, acid output and pH. These data suggest that OF-f possesses pronounced inhibitory action on gastric lesion of rats.
Opuntia boldinghii Br et R. is a species without commercial use. However, recent research has shown its potential as a colorant, due to the presence of betalains. In this study, four citric beverages (15% orange juice + 15% grape-fruit juice + 65% water + 5% O. boldinghii pulp) formulated with 0, 0.5%, 0.1% 0.01% ascorbic acid (formulations I, II, III and IV, respectively). The products were pasteurized and stored at 7.0 ±°C using amber bottles. Mesophilic bacteria, molds, yeast, MPN/ml of coliforms, pH, °Brix, titrable acidity, betalains, total carotenoids, vitamin C and sensorial parameters (color, aroma and flavor) were evaluated weekly during 21 days. The first day, mesophilic bacteria counts were <200CFU/ml. No significant differences were found (P>0.05) in pH, °Brix and titrable acidity. Significant differences were found (P<0.05) in betalains, total carotenoids and vitamin C. It is concluded that the elaboration of these products is feasible and it permits to the use of O. boldinghii, a marginal species.
The preservation through combined methods has shown to be an effective technique for the elaboration of fruits in syrup and it is generally used with priority in regions far away from urban cities where there is neither such state-of-the-art technology nor enough energy. The main objective of the present work was to utilise this technology to develop peeled cactus pear in syrup canned in glass jars (440 mL) with twist-off caps, selecting those formulations that organoleptically were the best out of a population of 12, in which water activity (0,96 and 0,975), concentrations of sodium bisulphite (0, 50 and 100 ppm), phosphoric acid (50% v/v) and in mixture with citric acid (50% v/v) were modified and the concentrations of the ascorbic acid (500 ppm), calcium chloride (120 ppm) and potassium sorbate (1000 ppm) were maintained constant. The main conclusion was that conserved peeled cactus pears in syrup can be elaborated through combined methods reaching a total "Acceptable" qualification according to the organoleptical featuring and that the best alternative of formulation is the one without sodium bisulphite addition, by using a mixture of phosphoric and citric acids (50% v/v) and with Aw = 0,96, maintaining constant the remainder of the chemical additives. This formulation was characterised by applying chemical, physical, and microbiological methods, being observed that as well as in other preserves of fruits in syrup, they constitute sources of carbohydrates, fibbers, mineral (value of ashes) and vitamin C.
The use of processed fruit by-products for human consumption has increased significantly in recent years. The objective of the present paper was the sensorial evaluation of two products that used the skins of cactus pears that normally are not eaten. These new products were concentrated and preserved by combinations of methods. The first product combined cactus-pear skins, which normally are not eaten; pulp of the fruits that are normally eaten; and sucrose to develop a concentrated sweet product. The second product, termed marmalade, used ground skins and sucrose, but without additional pectin. Preservatives and acids in low concentrations also were added. For the first product a factorial design 3 × 2 × 2 was used whose factors were: (BS) sodium bisulphite (0, 50 and 100 ppm), (Aw) water activity (0.94 and 0.96), and acids [(AF) (phosphoric acid (50% v/v) and in mixture with citric acid (AF + AC) (50% v/v)]. In this product the (SK) potassium sorbate (1000 ppm) and (AC) ascorbic acid (500 ppm) were kept constant. In the second experiment, a single formulation with 63°Brix was developed with pH = 4.0; and SK = 250 ppm. Various dilutions of the first product containing both the pulp and the ground skins were diluted to obtain a final Brix of 15 (referred to as a nectar in this paper) before organoleptic evaluation by trained panel. The marmalade was not diluted prior to organoleptic evaluation. The optimum formulation for the pulp plus skin product had an Aw = 0.94; addition of AF, BS = 100 ppm and a "Good" rating. The second product, marmalade, had a slightly lower acceptance with an overall "acceptable" rating.
Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. cladodes contain a polysaccharide fraction that can retain water. The cladodes are used in Sicilian folk medicine as cicatrizant. We studied the healing activity of a base cream containing 15% lyophilized cladodes and of a commercial ointment on the wound produced on the backs of rats. The treatment was carried out for 3 and 5 days. After three days of treatment, the scar tissue is evident, both fibers and fibroblasts in the derma are properly arranged. The dermal vessels are reduced in lumen and the keratinocytes show proliferation areas. In the 5 days' treatment, the wound healing process is almost completed and the piliferous bulbs are recovering. Complete epithelization occurs. Evidently, the O. ficus-indica treatment accelerates wound healing, probably by involving the proliferation and migration of the keratinocytes in the healing process.
Industrial gums, which for the most part are water-soluble polysaccharides, have enormously large and broad application in both food and non-food industries. All applications depend on the properties provided by very large molecules in various states of hydration, but mostly depend on the properties they impart to solutions and gels. Polysaccharides are used in the food industry, because they are widely available and nontoxic and are usually of low cost. The use of polysaccharides in nonfood applications depends on unique special properties they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. Each gum has special properties that are a result of its individual unique molecular structure. This chapter presents general information on gums and discusses various factors that affect the selection of gums.
The objective of this study was to investigate the fodder potential of Opuntia ficus-indica. Samples taken from a plant grown in a greenhouse were analysed for DM, ash, CP, CF, NFE and EE and mineral concentrations. The in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) was assayed by the faeces liquor technique. Moisture concentration was extremely high (93%), while ash content was low (7.43% of DM). Fruits and young cladodes had significantly (P<0.05) higher CP than middle-aged and old cladodes, but CF did not vary with age. Age also had a significant effect on NFE, Ca, and P concentrations and significantly (P<0.001) reduced IVDMD values. IVDMD could be predicted by the regression equation: IVDMD= 74.1-4.12 age- 0.009 CP+0.482 CF-0.91 EE+0.989 ash; r 2 = 93.6 (P<0.001). Compared with ruminant nutrient requirements, O. ficus-indica was moderate in CP, Ca, Mg and P, and low in Na and K contents. It was highly digestible. Based on these nutritive characteristics, it was estimated that O. ficus-indica has a high-energy value. For any true evaluation and in order to incorporate it into feeding systems, its combination with other feeds and its effect on animal performance should be investigated.
CAM species often grown slowly, as is the case for various short-statured cacti and many epiphytes in several families. For every CO2 fixed photosynthetically, C3 plants require 3 ATP and 2 NADPH, whereas the extra enzymatic reactions and compartmentation complexity for C4 plants require 4 or 5 ATP and 2 NADPH, and CAM plants require 5.5-6.5 ATP and 2 NADPH. Photorespiration in C3 plants can release some of the CO2 fixed and also has an energetic cost, whereas photorespiration is much less in C4 and CAM plants. Therefore, CAM plants can perform net CO2 fixation 15% more efficiently than C3 plants, although 10% less efficiently than C4 plants. A maximum instantaneous rate for net CO2 uptake of 55 μmol m-2s-1 is predicted. Measured maximal rates average 48 μmol m-2s-1 for leaves of six C3 species with the highest rates and 64 μmol m-2s-1 for six such C4 species; CAM plants take up CO2 mainly at night, which is not directly related to the instantaneous rate of photon absorption. Net CO2 uptake integrated over 24 h, which is more pertinent to productivity than are instantaneous CO2 uptake rates, is similar for the three pathways, although the higher water-use efficiency of CAM plants can be an advantage during drought. Canopy architecture is crucial for the distribution of the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) over the shoot, which determines net CO2 uptake per unit ground area and hence determines productivity. Maximal productivity for idealized canopies under optimal conditions is predicted to be c100 Mg d.wt ha-1yr-1, whereas actual values of environmental factors in the field halve this prediction. In experiments using shoot area indices, annual above-ground dry-weight productivities averaging 43 Mg Ha-1yr-1 have been observed for certain agaves and platyopuntias. The measured average annual productivity of the most productive plants is 49 Mg ha-1yr-1 for six agronomic C4 species, 35 Mg ha-1yr-1 for six agronomic C3 species, and 39 Mg ha-1yr-1 for six C3 species. Thus, CAM plants are capable of similar high productivities, which can become especially advantageous in regions of substantial water stress. -from Author
