CAROTENOID CONTENT, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF LOW-CALORIE NOPAL (OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA) MARMALADE

A Review on Opuntia Species and its Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology and Bioapplications

Background:

Opuntia species, locally known as prickly pear was used for various purposes as food, medicine, beverage, source of dye and animal food. Many studies have revealed its pharmacology activity from time to time. This review is a collection of chemistry, pharmacognosy, pharmacology and bioapplications of the cactus family.

Methods:

Many sources were used to collect information about Opuntia species such as Pub med, Google scholar, Agris, science direct, Embase, Merk index, Wiley online library, books and other reliable sources. This review contains studies from 1812 to 2019.

Results:

The plants from the cactus family offer various pharmacological active compounds including phenolic compounds, carotenoids, betalains, vitamins, steroids, sugar, amino acids, minerals and fibers. These bioactive compounds serve various pharmacological activities such as anticancer, antiviral, anti-diabetic, Neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, Hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiulcer and alcohol hangover. According to various studies, Opuntia species offer many bioapplications such as fodder for animal, soil erosion, prevention, human consumption and waste water decontamination. Finally, different parts of plants are used in various formulations that offer many biotechnology applications.

Conclusion:

Different parts of Opuntia plant (fruits, seeds, flowers and cladodes) are used in various health problems which include wound healing, anti-inflammatory and urinary tract infection from ancient times. Nowadays, researches have extended several pharmacological and therapeutic uses of Opuntia species as discussed in this review. Many in-vitro and in-vivo models are also discussed in this review as the proofs of research findings. Various research gaps have been observed in current studies that require attention in the future.

Mucilage and cladode flour from cactus (Opuntia monacantha) as alternative ingredients in gluten-free crackers

Cactus cladode offers innovative ingredients such as cactus mucilage (CM) and cladode flour (CF) for producing gluten-free snacks. Five different crackers were formulated: C-C (control cracker prepared with 2% of commercial gums), C-CM (cracker containing 2% of CM instead of commercial gums), C-CF5, C-CF10, and C-CF15 (crackers incorporated of 5%, 10%, and 15% CF, respectively - free of commercial gums). CF characterization is also presented, demonstrating its great technological potentiality. The proximate composition of C-CM and C-CF mostly differed for ash and fiber content as compared to C-C. In general, crackers' physical properties were not impacted by CM or CF addition, except for the darker color of CF-supplemented crackers. The C-CM and CF-incorporated crackers showed higher total phenolics and antioxidant activity. Additionally, the latter samples were enhanced with carotenoids. Sensory evaluation revealed that C-CM and C-CF5 were those most accepted. Therefore, CM and CF are interesting alternatives for gluten-free cracker formulation.

INVESTIGATION OF THE PROPERTIES OF MARMALADE WITH PLANT CRYOADDITIVES DURING STORAGE

This article presents the results of studies of the properties of marmalade with natural plant cryoadditives during storage for 3 months (90 days). To improve the organoleptic characteristics and antioxidant properties of marmalade, plant additives of cryogenic origin were used, namely cryopastes from quince, apple, carrot, pumpkin, grapes, and cryopowders from rose hips, sea buckthorn, and grapes. It is shown that the use of plant cryoadditives makes it possible to increase the biological value and antioxidant properties of new types of marmalade. For new types of marmalade with cryoadditives, during its shelf life, these properties have not been studied earlier. However, it should be noted that such studies are necessary and relevant for solving the problem of preserving the quality indicators and antioxidant capacity of marmalade with cryoadditives. New kinds of marmalade have high organoleptic characteristics during the whole storage period. It is shown that the storage conditions of marmalade, according to current regulatory documentation, are suitable for new marmalade products, since the physico-chemical and microbiological indicators vary, but remain within acceptable limits. Thus, the moisture content decreases to almost 31%, the acidity rises by 12–16%, compared to freshly prepared samples. The content of reducing substances increases by 30–64%. It is determined that the value of the antioxidant capacity of all the samples developed is much higher – almost 2.3–8 times than the same figure for the control sample. After the storage period, the antioxidant capacity is reduced by 15–35%, but this data also significantly exceeds the antioxidant capacity of the control sample. Storage of marmalade with cryopastes and cryopowders for 90 days is possible, since all the basic physico-chemical, microbiological, and organoleptic indicators at the end of shelf life meet the requirements. Indicators of antioxidant capacity for them also remain at a fairly high level. New technologies of jelly-fruit marmalade with plant cryoadditives have been introduced at 4 enterprises. 2 utility model patents have been received, and regulatory documents have been developed and approved for the manufacture of new jelly products.

Characterization of carotenoid profile of Spanish Sanguinos and Verdal prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica, spp.) tissues

Carotenoid profiles of different tissues (peel, pulp and whole fruit) of Spanish Sanguinos (red) and Verdal (orange) prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica spp.) have been characterized in detail and quantified for the first time. Carotenoids were determined by HPLC-PDA-MS (APCI⁺), using a reverse phase C₃₀ column. A total of 9 xantophylls and 4 hydrocarbon carotenes were identified. Also, minor amounts of chlorophyll a, a' and b can be observed in Opuntia peel extracts. All carotenoids were found to be present in their free form (no carotenoid esters were detected). The RAE was highest in Opuntia peels, showing values from 19.20 to 16.48µg/100g fresh weigth, for Sanguinos and Verdal Opuntia fruits, respectively. The main carotenoid in Opuntia peel extracts was (all-E)-lutein with 1132.51 and 767.98µg/100g fresh weigth, followed by (all-E)-β-carotene with 200.40 and 173.50µg/100g fresh weigth for Sanguinos and Verdal varieties of Opuntia fruits, respectively.