• Proceedings of the Culinary Society of Korean Academy Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.21-49
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• 2004

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.362-364
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• 2000

Opuntia ficus-indca(Op) extract has been claimed to have several therapeutic properties in oriental medicine including anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects. Little is known of its effect on the activation of immune cells such as T cells and macrophages. To evaluate the functional effect of Op extract on immune cells, we examined whether Op extract stimulates the proliferation of T cells and the secretion of cytokines including IL-1 beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in THP-1 cell lines by RT-PCR. Op extract significantly enhanced the proliferation of T cell clone(D10S). Transcription of cytokines including IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha peaked 6 hrs after exposure to Op extract(100g/ml) in the THP-1 cell line and declined and declined thereafter. In an experiment to test the dose dependency of transcription of cytokines, transcription increased at a dose of 10 g/ml and the maximum expression was obtained at 100 g/ml, 6 hrs after exposure to Op extract. These findings suggest that Op extract is a potent stimulant of immune cells including T cells and macrophages, which acts by stimulating T cell proliferation and upregulating cytokines. These phenomena imply that some edible plants may be beneficial to living animals through the activation of immune functions.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.190-195
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• 2005

The conditions for the extraction of effective substances from the stem of Opuntia ficus-indica were optimized by a response surface methodology. The total extract yield was maximized under the temperature of $97.77^{\circ}C$, at a time duration of 145.82 min and a water to sample ratio 16.59 mL/g. Moreover, the optimum conditions for the extraction of effective substances were as follows: $84.95^{\circ}C$, 156.50 min and a water/sample ratio of 7.46 mL/g for the phenolics content; and $97.11^{\circ}C$, 139.03 min and a water/sample ratio of 10.91 mL/g for the pectin content. The range of optimum extraction conditions in consideration of the physicochemical properties of the extracts were shown to be as $95-100^{\circ}C$ as the extraction temperature, 120-180 min as extraction time and a water to sample ratio of 5-18 mL/g.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.299.3-300
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• 2002

Both of Semen (OF-Se) or stem (OF-Sf) of Opuntia ficus-indica Semen have been used as a healthful food or folk medicine in korea for the treatment of asthma. diabetes mellitus. aging, osteoporosis, rheumatic arthritis. constipation, cancer. gastric ulcer. constipation. toxic state, edema, etc, There are many reports that OF have the anti-gastric damage, wound healing, diabetes mellitus, monoamine oxidase B inhibitor etc. (omitted)

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 1998

The ethanol extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica fructus (EEOF) and Opuntia ficus-indica stem (EEOS) were prepared and used to evaluate the pharmacological effects of cactus. Both the extracts inhibited the writhing syndrome induced by acetic acid, indicating that they contains analgesic effect. The oral administrations of EEOF and EEOS suppressed carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and also showed potent inhibition in the leukocyte migration of CMC-pouch model in rats. Moreover, the extracts suppressed the release of $\beta$-glucuronidase, a lysosomal enzyme in rat neutrophils. It was also noted that the extracts showed the protective effect on gastric mucosal layers. From the results it is suggested that the cactus extracts contain anti-inflammatory action having protective effect against gastric lesions.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.177.1-177.1
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• 2000

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1332-1340
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• 2017

In this study, we assessed antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-Alzheimer activities of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OFI) at harvest time. OFIs were cultivated December 2015~November 2016 in Jeju island. The 70% ethanol extracts of OFI were used to investigate total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, antioxidant(DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assay), anti-diabetic(yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase and rat ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition assay), and anti-Alzheimer(Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition assay) activities. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of OFIs were $17.40{\sim}23.11{\mu}g$ garlic acid/mg Ex and 2.17~6.22 ug (+)-catechine/mg Ex, respectively. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity of OFIs were 131.98~184.90 mg ascorbic acid(AA) eq/100 g and 63.60~101.83 mg AA eq/100 g, respectively. In the anti-diabetic and anti-Alzheimer activities, 70% ethanol extracts of OFI exhibited moderate inhibition activity, compared to control (acarbose and beberine). Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-Alzheimer activities were no significant differences by season, respectively. Therefore, information on comparative biological evaluations of OFI may be a beneficial in exploring functional food and drug development.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1316-1321
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• 2009

Multiple beneficial properties of Opuntia ficus indica (OPF) are well established. In the present study, we have investigated the immunological role of OPF extract (OPFE) on murine splenocytes. OPFE dose- and time-dependently enhanced the proliferation of splenocytes without cytotoxicity. Our results also showed that the number of $CD4^+$ helper T cells and CD45R/$B220^+$ pan B cells increased markedly, but not $CD8^+$ cytotoxic T cells or $CD11b^+$ granulocytes/macrophages. In addition, OPFE significantly decreased the production levels of T helper (Th) 1 type cytokines, interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$, although had no significantly differences in those of interleukin (IL)-4, a Th2 type cytokine in concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated blastogenic cells. Furthermore, OPFE alone strongly increased IL-4 production and decreased TNF-$\alpha$ production even in the absence of Con A. On the basis of these results, this study suggests that OPFE enhances immunity by regulating the pro- and anti-inflammatory response, indicating that this extract exerts a marked immunomodulatory effect, confirming its usefulness as therapy for immune-related diseases.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.345-359
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• 1999

The antimicrobial and antioxidative effects of Opuntia ficus-indica vur. saboten (OP) extract with different solvents and extraction methods were investigated. In general, antimicrobial activity of OP was higher in extracts by reflux than in extracts by shake. However, no significant difference in antimicrobial activity was observed between methanol, ethanol and water extract. The antimicrobial activity was significant against all microbes tested, especially against Pseudomonas aeruginosa by shake extract and against Escherichia coli O-157 by reflux extract. A severe morphological change with destruction of outer layer was observed in Salmonella enteritidis treated with water extract. Though OP extract in hydrogen activity was lower than 0.1% BHT, the activity of OP extract showed very high effectivenss than the activity of control. OP extract showed a similar extent of antioxidative activity with BHT.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.334-340
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Opuntia ficus-indica complex (OF) on blood glucose, glucose tolerance, plasma insulin level and histopathological appearance of pancreatic islets in streptozotoxin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Thirty-two male Sprague-Daweley rats were divided into non-diabetic control (NC), diabetic control (DC), diabetic OF of 2% (OF-2) and diabetic OF of 5% (OF-5) and fed experimental diets for 3 weeks. Compared to the DC group fasting blood glucose levels in the OF-2 and OF-5 groups were significantly (p<0.05) reduced while fasting plasma insulin level in the OF-2 and OF-5 groups were significantly (p<0.05) increased. Glucose tolerance in the OF-2 and OF-5 groups were improved. Histopathological observation of pancreatic islets of the OF-2 and OF-5 groups showed hyperplasia which was very similar to NC. Numbers of ${\beta}$-cells in OF-2 ($47.81{\pm}0.92$) and OF-5 ($81.64{\pm}2.80$) were higher than numbers of ${\beta}$-cells in DC ($13.18{\pm}1.01$). These results imply that the intake of OF improves ${\beta}$-cell proliferation and prevents the death of ${\beta}$-cells in STZ-induced diabetic rats.