• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.7 s.87
• /
• pp.915-922
• /
• 2007

In order to discover physiologically active substance, we investigated a powder obtained by processing of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino trunk. The powder was treated by sulfuric acid and then extracted by several solvents such as methanol, methylene chloride, ethanol etc. Among them, the best antimicrobial activity was showed by methylene chloride extract. To identify materials exhibiting physiological activation, the acid hydrolyzed extract was separated by 7 fractions through preparative silica gel TLC. The effective fraction exhibiting the best broad antimicrobial activity was identified, named as MBT-01108. From structural analysis of the products extracted to acid hydrolysis, a compound exhibiting the antimicrobial activities is identified to levulinic acid. Levulinic acid isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino may be applicable as a natural preservative of food or cosmetic and for prevention of bacterial diseases, an ingredient of acne, ageing and whitening cosmetics and an antimicrobial agent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.210-219
• /
• 2017

This study aimed to establish an optimal extraction process and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-photodiode array (PDA) analytical method for determination of marker compounds, dihydrokaempferol (DHK) and 3-O-methylquercetin (3-MeQ), as a part of materials standardization for the development of health functional foods from stems of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OFS). The quantitative determination method of marker compounds was optimized by HPLC analysis, and the correlation coefficient for the calibration curve showed very good linearity. The HPLC-PDA method was applied successfully to quantification of marker compounds in OFS after validation of the method in terms of linearity, accuracy, and precision. Ethanolic extracts from stems of O. ficus-indica var. saboten (OFSEs) were evaluated by reflux extraction at 70 and $80^{\circ}C$ with 50, 70, and 80% ethanol for 3, 4, 5, and 6 h. Among OFSEs, OFS70E at $80^{\circ}C$ showed the highest contents of DHK and 3-MeQ of $26.42{\pm}0.65$ and $3.88{\pm}0.29mg/OFS100g$, respectively. Furthermore, OFSEs were determined for their antioxidant activities by measuring 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation (LPO) inhibitory activities in rat liver homogenate. OFS70E at $70^{\circ}C$ showed the most potent antioxidant activities with $IC_{50}$ values of $1.19{\pm}0.11$ and $0.89{\pm}0.09mg/mL$ in the DPPH radical scavenging and LPO inhibitory assays, respectively. To identify active components of OFS, various chromatographic separation of OFS70E led to isolation of 11 flavonoids: dihydrokaempferol, dihydroquercetin, 3-O-methylquercetin, quercetin, isorhamnetin 3-O-glucoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-galactoside, narcissin, kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-galactoside, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside. The results suggest that standardization of DHK in OFSEs using HPLC-PDA analysis would be an acceptable method for the development of health functional foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.33 no.8
• /
• pp.1268-1272
• /
• 2004

The 70% ethanol extract from cactus Chounnyouncho (Opuntia humifusa) was fractionated subsequently by hexan, chloroform, ethyl acetate, buthanol and water. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited strong antimicrobial activities by paper disk diffusion method on the five strains of food born bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas fluorescens. It has a heat resistance to show inhibitory effect after heat treatment at 11$0^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. The ethyl acetate fraction showed almost perfect growth inhibition at over 700 ppm on the tested strains.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.36-41
• /
• 2010

Fermentation characteristics of yakju prepared with addition of Opuntia ficus indica were examined, with respect to the nature and concentration of additional added materials. The pH level began to decrease after the secondary brewing stage and the total acid content increased during fermentation. The level of reducing sugars in yakju prepared with Opuntia ficus indica increased at the first brewing stage and then slowly decreased after 4 days of fermentation. The ethanol content of supplemented yakju rapidly increased during the initial 6 days of fermentation, to a maximum content of 17.1% after 14 days. The free sugar content was higher in yakju fermented with Opuntia ficus indica stem compared with fruit. The level of organic acids increased as the amount of Opuntia ficus indica material increased. Organic acid level increased during fermentation and lactic acid was the main organic acid in yakju fermented with Opuntia ficus indica. Sixteen volatile compounds were found by GC-MS in supplemented yakju. The most prominent volatile component was iso-amyl alcohol, followed by butyl alcohol and methyl esters. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of yakju fermented with Opuntia ficus indica stem was higher than when yakju was prepared with fruit. Sensory scores of yakju fermented with 20% (w/v) fruit and 10% (w/v) stem were greater than those of yakju prepared by other treatments.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.16 no.3 s.76
• /
• pp.477-484
• /
• 2006

This study was performed to know the potentialities of the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica, as a medium for mushroom mycelial culture. Five mushroom mycelial (Agrocus blazei, Grifola frondosa, Hericium erinaceum, Innonotus obliquus, Phellinus linteus) were frown on the malt extract broth (MEB) and the cactus broth medium (CB). The submerged culture mixtures were extracted using equal volume of ethyl acetate, and their extract yields, total polyphenol contents, and some physiological activities were compared with each other Each extract from mycelial culture grown on CB medium showed remarkable enhancement in physiological activities compared with each counterpart grown on MEB. Among five mycelial cultures grown on CB medium, the extract yield and polyphenyl content were highest in the extract from Grifola frondosa (extract yield, 0.4 g/L and polyphenol content, 22.7%). Also, the extracts from Grifola frondosa showed the highest physiological activities, such as DPPH radical scavenging ($IC_{50}=362.9{\mu}g/ml$), xanthine oxidase inhibition (about 80% at $500{\mu}g/ml$), and superoxide radical scavenging (about 80% at $500{\mu}g/ml$), and NO production inhibition ($IC_{50}=43.1{\mu}g/ml$) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. This result suggests that the fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica can be used as a culture medium for improving the functional properties of various mushroom mycelia.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.711-717
• /
• 2016

Opuntia humifusa fruits were investigated. The length of minor and major axis, and weight of O. ficus-indica and O. humifusa fruits were compared as the morphological features. The characteristics of components such as color, moisture, crude protein, ash, fat, dietary fiber, mineral, and amino acids were evaluated. The values of O. ficus-indica fruits were higher than those of O. humifusa fruits in each morphological feature such as minor axis, major axis, and weight. According to the Hunter color index results, O. humifusa fruits showed higher values of L (lightness) and b (yellowness), whereas O. ficus-indica fruits showed higher value of a (redness). The ${\Delta}E$ value between two samples was 19.80. The O. ficus-indica fruits had higher carbohydrate content and lower content of crude ash than those of O. humifusa fruits. Both samples showed very high dietary fiber contents, and the major minerals were K and Ca. Glutamic acid was the major amino acids in both samples. In free amino acids contents, O. ficus-indica had higher tyrosine and lower glutamic acid level than those of O. humifusa fruits. ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid was found in both samples, whereas taurine was found in O. ficus-indica fruits only. Taken together, the morphological features and chemical quality of O. ficus-indica and O. humifusa fruits showed difference although both of them were originated from the same genus.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.613-619
• /
• 2000

The author examined whether the methanol extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica fruit and Saururus chinensis have the inhibitory action on xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO)-, $FeCl_2/ascorbic$ acid- and arachidonic acid-induced neurotoxicity in mouse cortical cell cultures. The methanol extracts ($10\;{\mu}g/ml{\sim}1\;mg/ml$) of Opuntia ficus-indica and Saururus chinensis were exhibited 53-89% and $48{\sim}100%$ inhibitory action on X/XO-induced neurotoxicity, respectively. At the range of same concentration, both extracts also attenuated the $FeCl_2/ascorbic$ acid-induced neurotoxicity by $35{\sim}100%$ and $15{\sim}98%$, respectively. In arachidonic acid neurotoxicity, the methanol extract (1 mg/ml) of Opuntia ficus-indica and Saururus chinensis reduced neuronal injury by 22% and 38%, respectively. These results suggest that Opuntia ficus-indica fruit and Saururus chinensis may contribute the neuroprotection in certain free radical-mediated neuronal injury.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.33 no.3 s.130
• /
• pp.238-244
• /
• 2002

The extracts from stem and fruit of Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino) were applied to confirm the antiatherosclerotic effects in subacute alcoholic hyperlipidemic rats. It was observed that several indications of hyperlipidemia were prevented or changed by the treatments of the extracts but activities of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase and alcohol dehydrogenase were not affected, which suggest that the extracts may promote the fecal excretion and delay the absorption of alcohol in hyperlipidemic rats.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.33 no.3 s.130
• /
• pp.230-237
• /
• 2002

Prickly pear(Opuntia ficus-indica var saboten Makino, Cactaceae) is widely used as folk medicine for burned wound, edema and indigestion. To confirm the hypolipidemic action of the extract from Cactus stem and fruit in dietary hyperlipidemic rats, variations of the lipid- or cholesterol-related components were investigated. As results these changes were significantly prevented by treatments with Cactus extracts. The effects of the extract of fruit was better than those of stem.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.33 no.4 s.131
• /
• pp.332-336
• /
• 2002

Opuntia ficus-indica var. sabotan was administered with diet for 5 weeks on db/db diabetic mice and its antidiabetic activity was investigated. Leaves of Opuntia ficus-indica var. sabotan inhibited the increase of body weight, glucose elevation in blood and urine, and protein excretion in urine, and protein excretion in urine. Opuntia ficus-indica var. sabotan also inhibited the intestinal maltase and sucrase activity on db/db Mice loaded with maltose and sucrose. However, it did not significantly lower HbAlc in blood of db/db mice. These results suggest that leaves of Opuntia ficus-indica var. sabotan could be effective on insulin-independent diabetic mellitus type 2.