Nutritional Profile Of Prickly Pear

Vitamins in Prickly Pear Fruit

Prickly pear fruit comprises of 93% fresh mass of water, whereas other major dry matter constituents are dietary fibers or sugars like fructose or glucose. The protein content is 13% d. m while fat is insignificant. Prickly pear fruit is valuable source of bioactive components that phenolic compounds and carotenoids, vitamins such as A, E, B1, B2 and C or minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Among polyphenols anthocyanin, flavonoid or phenolic acid is remarkable [40-43]. Similarly, in cactus pear numerous forms of amino acids such as asparagine, alanine or arginine are found. O. ficus-indica juice contain high concentration of glutamic and aspartic acid that 200 mg/kg [44]. Prickly pear fruit contain beta-carotenes as well as vitamin E, C and K that are nutritionally beneficial. The constancy of fatty oil can be improved by vitamin E and carotenes because of their antioxidant capacity [45]. Fat-soluble vitamins (alpha-, beta-, and delta tocopherols, beta-carotene, and vitamin K1) present in seed and pulp oils of the prickly pear fruit protect lipids from oxidative damage [6]. Vitamin A is an active used in the treatment of anti‐aging, as well as in skin therapy for various skin disorders [46]. These include epidermal cells renewal, extracellular matrix production, inhibition of UV induced extracellular matrix degradation, cytokine modulation, oxidant/ antioxidant, sunscreen effect, prevention of UV‐induced vitamin A deficiency, and melanocyte function modulation [47]. Cactus pear contains 180 to 300 mg/kg of vitamin C. This content is higher than that found in other common fruits like apple, banana, or grape [48]. Vitamin K1 is present in all parts of the fruit, ranging from 0.5 to 1 g/kg [45,49]. Vitamin B is present only in the cladodes in which it is found in trace amounts [6].

Minerals in Prickly Pear Fruits

Opuntia fruit is also considered an excellent source of mineral nutrition, being enriched in calcium, potassium, and magnesium [6]. Humans need Se in their diet for at least 25 different proteins, among which are the powerful antioxidant enzyme family of selenoglutathione peroxidases [50,51]. O. ficus-indica cladodes also represent a source of phytochemicals, such as phenolic and flavonoids [52] minerals, and other nutrients. The potential benefits of the high calcium content are negligible because it is in the form of poorly bioavailable calcium oxalate crystals [53-58].

Proximate Composition of Prickly Pear Fruit

The main constituent of O. ficus-indica cladodes is water (80-95%), followed by small amounts of carbohydrates (3-7%), fiber (1-2%), and protein (0.5-1%); other compounds are only partly known and have not been quantitatively determined [18] (Tables 2-4).

Properties of Prickly Pear

Anti-Oxidative Agent

Prickly pear has defensive properties because of presence of antioxidant compounds like vitamin C, vitamin E, betalains, polyphenols as flavonoids and phenolic acids [59]. Vitamin C acts as a reducing agent and have antioxidant capacity [60]. In prickly pear several enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions are due to availability of huge quantity of antioxidant that has scavenging number of reactive oxygen species. Vitamin C protects DNA and cellular tissues from deterioration caused by free radical compounds. It is also essential in the prohibition of cancer, heart diseases, hypertension and osteoporosis. Antioxidants protect body´s defense system by lowering the prooxidant activity [61]. The prooxidant constitute of reactive oxygen species and its products. If oxidative stress increases it cause diseases like cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and cancer. Prickly pear fruit betalains and ascorbic acid act as antioxidants because they play vital part in boosting body´s redox balance and decrease lipid oxidation by acting as radical scavengers [62].

Anti-Inflammatory Agent

Opuntia ficus indica have anti-inflammatory effect [63]. The anti-inflammatory activity of hydrocortisone is greater as compared to β-Sitosterol that is obtained from stem extract. Measure of anti-inflammatory activity the nitric oxide radical (NO) scavenging assay is used commonly because of its indication in inflammation [64]. Due to its presence in physiological and pathological process prohibition of hyaluronidase assay is another way of determining anti-inflammatory action.

Anti-Hyperlipidemic Agent

The prickly pear is used in medicine because of its hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties [8-10]. Prickly pear cladodes are of great importance because of fibers and antioxidant compounds [12]. They are beneficial in the treatment of chronic diseases. Cladodes are also helpful in preventing gastrointestinal disorders by improving body mass and glycaemia. They also act as anti-hyperlipidemic agent.

Anticholesterolemic Properties

Prickly pear is using for centuries as food sources and also in traditional folk medicines due to their nutritional properties and their benefit in chronic diseases. These include diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, cancer, and many other diseases. It exhibits the properties due to high content of antioxidant, pigments (carotenoids and Berlin’s) and phenolic acid [65]. Cardiovascular diseases are becoming the cause of death worldwide. In developing countries, the rate of it is increasing. In Mexico, mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease has increased which is 11% of deaths in country by 2006 [66]. Lifestyle changing has increased the rate of cardiovascular diseases in Mexico [67]. Prickly pear has antiatherogenic properties which is due to the high antioxidant which decrease the per oxidant, an important risk factor in atherosclerosis [12]. Prickly pear prevent the cardiovascular diseases.

According to several reports prickly pear has the antioxidant and antiatherogenic properties [12]. The consumption of prickly pear juice and fruit help to remove oxidative stress [61]. Similarly, the consumption of dried leaves from ficus-indica as dietary supplement by the women which was affected with metabolic syndrome cause a rapid increase in circulating HDL level by decrease in LDL cholesterol and in triglycerides, which indicates that the plant has hypocholesterolemic effect [68]. These properties are due to their content in dietary fiber which lowers the cholesterol level in hyperglycemic non-diabetic human patient.

Anti-Arthrosclerosis Property

Prickly pear improves the platelet function and homeostatic balance; thus it is used to prevent the atherosclerosis risk [12].

Anti-Diabetic Property

In type 2 diabetes mellitus it is multifactorial disease and also includes the genetic determinants of individual susceptibility. By the ingestion of prickly pear the mechanism of hypoglycemic evoke, which slows down absorption of glucose and increase the viscosity of food in gut [69,70]. .Another benefit is that prickly pear can stimulate the insulin secretion by direct action on pancreatic beta cell [71]. Several reports in diabetic patients showed the anti-hyperglycemic effect of prickly pear. Prickly pear plays a vital role in prevention of cardiovascular complications due to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Indeed, oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of type2 diabetes mellitus, particularly in the development of accelerated atherosclerosis lesions and cardiovascular diseases, which represent a main complication in diabetes [72].

Anti-Obesity Property

Obesity is major problem in all aver the world. In Mexico, the obesity rate has increased 32% (higher ratio in females) and 15% in children. Mexico is highly facing the situation of obesity. People find difficulties in exercise that can improve the symptoms of obesity. The demand for weight-loss products based on plants has increased during the last decade. This demand clearly indicates that medicinal plants for the treatment of obesity represent a current topic of interest. O. ficus-indica fruits, stems, seeds and cladodes have been traditionally used in folk medicine to prevent and cure chronic diseases. Therefore, clinical pharmacologic interest in the efficacy and safety of the phytochemicals present in the genus Opuntia has grown during recent years due to the realization that many people self-medicate using this plant [3,73]. Different approaches can be used, including in vitro on cellular models, in vivo by the use of animal models such as mice or rats feed diets enriched with Opuntia extracts, and human clinical trials. In adipocytes morphology, gene expression and hormone sensitivity the changes occur in it due to the complex process which is adipogenesis. Adipocyte plays major role in the maintenance of the lipid homeostasis and it balances the energy by storing the triglyceride to change the energy demand. Obesity is not only due to the hypertrophy adipose tissue but also due to the hyperplasia adipose tissue [74,75] and the risk of the obesity is controlled by the prickly pear efficiently. Litramine that is natural complex fiber derived from the prickly pear is used in hypo caloric diet and also for the moderate physical activity. Litramine is important in reducing the weight and there is no adverse effect of it on human health. Prickly pear derived fiber is useful for weight loss because it increases the excretion process and decreases the absorption process in the body. On the other hand, other weight loss substances can damage the body parts and have adverse effect but prickly pear does not have the negative effect on human body. Intake of the prickly pear helps in the balanced diet [76 77]. We use the animals to check the effect of the prickly pear for obesity. The diet which have the prickly pear powder effect the serum lipid profile and glucose it is also linked with effects such as on atherosclerosis, diabetes and obesity [78]. It has impact on the insulin sensitivity by the regulation of the genes which involved in the adipocyte differentiation [79]. This experiment was done on the mice the prickly pear was added in the high fat diet and noticed to the mice for the 12 weeks. Mice got the less weight and had the lower circulating cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol [66].

Anti-Carcinogenic Properties

The juice of prickly pear contains phenolic, flavonoids, betalains and antioxidant activity. Among the tested lines of cancer, viability of colon and prostate cells were highly affected. Researchers shows that by taking the prickly pear juice at different intervals prevent the oxidative stress and cancer [80]. Prickly pear is also used to lower the effect of the hangover. If we take the prickly pear before the alcohol it reduces the effect of the alcohol. It also reduces the nausea, dry mouth and anorexia. Loss of appetite was also reduced for volunteer who took the prickly pear. But it does not reduce the other symptoms of the hangover like headache and vomiting etc.

Improving Skin Property

Skin is the largest organ of the human body. It controls many functions of the body. It also maintains the temperature of human body and removes the toxic compounds through the transpiration. Although skin also has the antioxidants that help in the regeneration of the skin and helps in the wound healing. It also removes the damaged biomolecules. The wound healing process is slow in the diabetic patients and also in people that have the high stress level, decrease immune response and infectious agents [81]. The extract of the prickly pear has been used for the skin burn, skin disorders and wound healing [82].