Comparative Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of Opuntia ficus‐indica Sanguigna and Surfarina Seed Oils Obtained by Traditional and Ultrasound‐Assisted Extraction Procedures

A review on application of ultrasound and ultrasound assisted technology for seed oil extraction

Oil has extensively been extracted from oil-bearing crops and traded globally as a major food commodity. There is always a huge demand from the fats and oils industries to increase oil yield because of profitability benefits. If extraction is conducted under mild operating conditions to preserve and improve the oil quality, then it would be an added value. Ultrasound that works on the cavitational action helps to fulfil the gap. Ultrasound is gaining tremendous interest as an alternative to replace the current conventional extractions approach because of its multiple benefits. Cavitation generated by ultrasound eases the release of oil from cell matrices, thereby allowing the extraction to be carried out under mild processing conditions. The effect enhances the oil yield whilst preserving the quality of the oil. In ultrasound, green solvents can be used to replace toxic organic solvents. Recent up-to-date approaches utilised a combination of ultrasound with enzyme, microwave and supercritical technology to further enhance the oil extraction. This review highlights a comprehensive work of the impact of ultrasound and ultrasound in combination with other technologies on oil extraction, which emphasises the extraction yield and physicochemical properties of the oil, such as fatty acid composition, oxidative stability with the retention of the lipophilic phytochemicals and iodine, saponification values and colour parameters. Understanding of ultrasonication techniques for oil extraction served to be essential and useful information for the fats and oils scientists from academia and industries to explore the possibility of employing a sustainable and mild approaches for extracting oil from various crops.

An overview and update on the chemical composition and potential health benefits of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller

Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI), widely recognized as prickly pear, is native to Mexico and it is distributed in many areas of the world because of its socioeconomic, agronomic, and ecological benefits, besides its large amounts of functional, nutraceutical, and biological activities. Various parts of this plant including the fruit pulp and peel, cladode, and seeds are scientifically proven to have therapeutic potentials and are safe for human use. The contents of phytochemical compounds in each part of the OFI are different. Each pharmacological activity depends on the phytochemical compounds, the components used, and the extraction type. In this review, we summarize the active constituents from different parts of OFI and their pharmacological effects including the antioxidant, wound healing, skin protective, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antidiabetic, antihypercholesterolemic, and anti-obesity activities. Besides its effects on the bone health, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract, its gastroprotective, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, neuroprotective, sedative, analgesic, anxiolytic and antimicrobial effects and effects on cognitive and memory function are also mentioned. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Over the past few decades, the health benefits of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) have received much attention. All parts of the plant, including the fruit pulp and peel, cladode, and seeds have found use in the treatment of many diseases. The chemical composition of OFI provides both a high nutritional value and various health benefits. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present the up-to-date research carried out on OFI phytochemicals, showing the most important biological activities reported.

Cold-pressed cactus pear seed oil: Quality and stability

Cold-pressed seed oil from twelve commercially produced cactus pear cultivars was assessed for oil yield, fatty acid composition, physicochemical properties, quality and stability. Large differences in oil content, fatty acid composition and physicochemical properties (IV, PV, RI, tocopherols, ORAC, % FFA, OSI and induction time) were observed. Oil content ranged between 2.51% and 5.96% (Meyers and American Giant). The important fatty acids detected were C16:0, C18:0, C18:1c9 and C18:2c9,12, with C18:2c9,12, the dominating fatty acid, ranging from 58.56-65.73%, followed by C18:1c9, ranging between 13.18-16.07%, C16:0, which ranged between 10.97 - 15.07% and C18:0, which ranged between 2.62-3.18%. Other fatty acids such as C14:0, C16:1c9, C17:0, C17:1c10, C20:0, C18:3c9,12,15 and C20:3c8,11,14 were detected in small amounts. The quality parameters of the oils were strongly influenced by oil content, fatty acid composition and physicochemical properties. Oil content, PV, % FFA, RI, IV, tocopherols, ORAC and ρ-anisidine value were negatively correlated with OSI. C18:0; C18:1c9; C18:2c9,12; MUFA; PUFA; n-6 and PUFA/SFA were also negatively correlated with OSI. Among all the cultivars, American Giant was identified as the paramount cultivar with good quality traits (oil content and oxidative stability).

Phytochemistry and biological activities of Opuntia seed oils: Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. and Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. A review

Opuntia species belong to semi-arid and arid regions of Mexico and the United States. O. ficus-indica and O. dillenii are commonly used in alternative medicine to treat various diseases. Up to date, several scientific works have been carried out on the different parts of these plants. However, over the last few years, studies have been focusing on the oil obtained from the fruit seeds of these species. For this reason, this study aims to draw the attention of researchers toward the phytochemical and the pharmacological effects of these two Opuntia oils, which would help set up other scientific projects that promote these products. Phytochemical studies have shown that these oils are rich in biologically active molecules, such as unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols (mainly linoleic acid and β-sitosterol), as well as vitamin E, which is represented only by the γ-tocopherol. Besides, these oils are rich in polyphenols that protect them from photo-oxidation. Moreover, several studies have shown their antioxidant, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and gastroprotective activities, as well as their hypolipidemic properties. The beneficial effects of these oils include also their ability to block the weight loss, and what makes them more interesting is their safety, according to the literature.

Cactus: Chemical, nutraceutical composition and potential bio-pharmacological properties

Cactus species are plants that grow in the arid and semiarid regions of the world. They have long fascinated the attention of the scientific community due to their unusual biology. Cactus species are used for a variety of purposes, such as food, fodder, ornamental, and as medicinal plants. In the last regard, they have been used in traditional medicine for eras by the ancient people to cure several diseases. Recent scientific investigations suggest that cactus materials may be used as a source of naturally-occurring products, such as mucilage, fiber, pigments, and antioxidants. For this reason, numerous species under this family are becoming endangered and extinct. This review provides an overview of the habitat, classification, phytochemistry, chemical constituents, extraction and isolation of bioactive compounds, nutritional and pharmacological potential with pre-clinical and clinical studies of different Cactus species. Furthermore, conservation strategies for the ornamental and endangered species have also been discussed.

Middle Eastern Plant Extracts: An Alternative to Modern Medicine Problems

Middle Eastern countries are primarily known for their dry sand deserts; however, they have a wider physiographic range which includes upland plateau and mountain ranges. The Middle East is home to various types of plants, such as Phoenix dactylifera (date palm tree), Scrophularia striata (herbaceous plants), and Opuntia ficus-indica (cactus). These plants have been found to have various types of bioactivities, such as antimicrobial activities against both bacteria and fungi, in addition to exhibiting anti-inflammatory effects and anti-cancer characteristics which can be utilized in the clinical setting for treatment. Due to limited reviews focusing on plant extracts from the Middle East, we aim to provide a discourse on plants from this region which have various bioactivities and to provide information on the compounds that can be identified from these plants. This is to enhance our understanding to improve modern medicine problems such as antimicrobial resistance and to find an alternative cure for cancer. It is hoped that the collation of information from this review will enable an assessment of the direct role of Middle Eastern plants in providing therapeutic options to address the predicaments in the medical field.

Prickly Pear Seed Oil by Shelf-Grown Cactus Fruits: Waste or Maste?

The chemical composition and properties of seed oils have attracted researchers nowadays. By this meaning, the physicochemical and bioactivity profile of prickly pear seed oil (PPSO) (a product of prickly pear fruits waste) were investigated. Seeds of shelf-grown cactus fruits (Opuntia ficus indica L.) were subjected to analysis. Moisture content (gravimetric analysis), seed content (gravimetric analysis), oil yield (Soxhlet extraction/gravimetric analysis), volatile compounds (HS-SPME/GC-MS), fatty acids profile (GC-FID), in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH assay), and total phenolic content (Folin-Cioacalteu assay) were determined. Results showed that prickly pear seeds had a moisture content of 6.0 ± 0.1 g/100 g, whereas the oil yield ranged between 5.4 ± 0.5 g/100 g. Furthermore, the PPSO had a rich aroma because of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, hydrocarbons, ketones, and other compounds, with the major volatiles being 2-propenal, acetic acid, pentanal, 1-pentanol, hexanal, 2-hexenal, heptanal, 2-heptenal (Z), octanal, 2-octenal, nonanal, 2,4-decadienal (E,E), and trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal. Among the fatty acids, butyric, palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids were the dominant. Finally, the pure PPSO had a high in vitro antioxidant activity (84 ± 0.010%) and total phenolic content (551 ± 0.300 mg of gallic acid equivalents/L). PPSO may be then used as a beneficial by-product, in different food systems as a flavoring, antioxidant, and nutritional agent.