Nutritional value of cladodes and fruits of prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica)‎

Abstract EN

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), have been used for centuries as food and forage resources.

The purpose of this study was to assess some of the nutritional value of their cladodes and fruit.

Fruit juice contained phenolic compounds concentration of 119.66 and 123.56 mg/100 g and antioxidant activity of 40.38% and 39.18 %, respectively.

Appreciable amounts of vitamin C being 15.94 and 26.76 mg/100 g, and the amount of vitamin E were 1.37 and 96.80 μg/100 g, respectively.

Regard to vitamin D, it was not detected in the cladode while the fruit contained 1.40 μg/100 g.

The amount of beta-carotene (β-carotene) were 57.51 and 28.01 μg/100 g for cladodes and fruit, respectively.

The major fatty acids of the cladode and fruit were unsaturated fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid (omega-6), linolenic acid (omega-3) and oleic acid (omega-9).

The main identified saturated fatty acids were palmitic and stearic acids.

The present study demonstrated that cladodes and fruits of prickly pears can be considered as functional food due to their valuable contents of fibers, vitamins, fatty acids, phenolic compounds and antioxidants.