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

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.33 no.3 s.130
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• pp.238-244
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• 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
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• v.33 no.3 s.130
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• pp.230-237
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• 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.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 2001

Three varieties of methyl citrate and 1 -methyl malate were isolated from the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino through in vitro bioassay-guided isolation for the inhibition on monoamine oxidase(MAO). The $IC_50$ values for MAO-B of 1-monomethyl citrate, 1,3-dimethy citrate, trimethyl citrate and 1-methyl malate were 0.19, 0.23, 0.61 and 0.25 mM, respectively. However, on MAO-A, their inhibitions showed only marginal activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.90-93
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• 2001

The effects of the dried fruit powder of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OF-f) were investigated on gastric lesion and ulcer models in rats. It showed significant inhibition in HCl ethanol and HCl aspirin induced gastric lesion at a dose of 600 mg/kg, p.o. OF-f also showed significant inhibition in indomethacin induced gastric lesion at the doses of 200 and 600 mg/kg, p.o. However, it did not affect aspirin and Shay ulcer in rats. It also did not affect the gastric juice secretion, acid output and pH. These data suggest that OF-f possesses pronounced inhibitory action on gastric lesion of rats.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.221-226
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• 2007

The high molecular-weight mucilage extracted and purified from cactus fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica var. Saboten was degraded by the cell-free culture filtrate of a fungus isolated from soil. TLC analysis of the polymeric mucilage after incubation with the fungal culture filtrate confirmed its degradation. When the degradation products were tested for their qualitative reactions with ninhydrin and phenol-sulfuric acid, only phenol-sulfuric acid gave positive development, and ninhydrin did not show any observable color reaction. This coloring reaction suggested the presence of a carbohydrate without an amino group within the mucilage. Analyses by HPLC and liquid gel permeation chromatography on sephadex G-100 also provided additional information on degradation of the mucilage by the fungal culture filtrate. The sequences of ITS-5.8S rDNA from the fungal isolate that was cultivated for the preparation of mucilage-degrading enzyme showed 99% similarity to those of Pestalotiopsis aquatica.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.93-96
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• 2008

The ethanolic extract of Ficus racemosa Lin. (Moraceae) bark and fruit were tested for its possible antinociceptive activity study on acetic acid induced writhing method in mice. Both the bark and fruit extracts at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight showed significant antinociceptive activity on the experimental animals. The fruit extract showed most potent inhibition of acetic acid induced writhing in mice (61.38%, P < 0.001) where as the bark extract showed inhibition only 42.6% (P < 0.001) and all the result were statistically significant.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1998

The Opuntia ficus-indica extract(OFE) has been claimed to have several therapeutic properties including anti-inflammation and anti-rheumatoid arthritis in oriental medicine but little is known about their effect on macrophages. This study demonstrated that OFE could stimulate TNF-alpha production in cultured macrophages. which is one of important mediators in autoimmune diseases including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis(EAE). In vivo study showed that oral administration of OFE exacerbate the onset of clinical paralysis. This finding suggests that OFE stimulates cytokine production and exacerbates autoimmune inflammatory diseases including EAE.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.67-70
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• 2002

The effects of the dried stem powder of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OF-s) were investigated on gastric lesion and ulcer models in rats. It showed significant inhibition in HCl·ethanolinduced gastric lesion at the doses of 200 and 600 mg/kg p.o. and in HCl·aspirin-induced gastric lesion at 600 mg/kg p.o. OF-s also showed significant inhibition in indomethacin-induced gastric lesion at the doses of 200 and 600 mg/kg, p.o. However, it did not affect both the aspirin-induced and Shay ulcers in rats. It also did not affect gastric juice secretion, acid output and pH. These data indicate that OF-s only possesses pronounced inhibitory action on gastric lesion without antiulcer activity in rats.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.174-179
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• 1998

The effect of oral treatment with Ficus racemosa leaf extract (400 mg/kg for seven days) were studied on hepatic damage induced by paracetamol (750 mg/kg, i.p.) in rats. Biochemical parameter like SGOT, SGPT, serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase were estimated to assess liver function. These biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of liver sections. The activity of extract was also comparable to Neutrosec a known hepatoprotective formulation.