• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.32-36
• /
• 2000

Prickly pear juice(PPJ) extracted from prickly pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica)was used as raw material for the production of alcoholic beverages. Prickly pear juice (PPJ) had 0.88 oBrix of soluble solid, pH 3.96 and 0.14% of total acidity. Alcohol fermentation of 25% PPJ including 22 oBrix of sugar and 1$\times$106 of inoculum was suitable for alcohol fermentation indicating the rapid decrease of sugar content. The 22 oBrix of sugar in PPJ (25%)GJ (50%) mixture was changed to 6.5 oBrix after fermentation at 3$0^{\circ}C$ for 7 days. The alcohol content was 9.2% (w/v). PPJ (70%)/GJ (30%) mixture produced alcoholic beverage with 6.9% alcohol content resulting in the gradual decrease of soluble for 7 days. On the other hand, PPJ (50%)/GJ(50%) mixture carried out completely the alcohol fermentation at 22$^{\circ}C$ for 6 days and enhanced the red color of alcoholic beverages.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1998.11a
• /
• pp.187-187
• /
• 1998

The objective was to verify biological activities of fruit and stem of prickly pear(Opuntia ficus indica L. var, saboten Makino). We have determined inhibitory activities on enzymes, such as dopamine ${\beta}$-hydroxylase(DBH), monoamme oxidase A and B(MAO-A, B), and antioxidant activity, in vitro. We purchased dried stem powder and lyophilized fruit powder of prickly pear from CheJu Island, and prepared the extracts with 80% of methanol. The fruit extract showed stronger inhibitory effects on MAO-A and -B and antioxidant activity compared. to the stem extract, on fractionation with hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. Both the stem and the fruit extracts with ethyl acetate showed stronger enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activities than other extracts. Now we are isolating active principles from both ethyl acetate extracts.

• 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.32 no.4 s.127
• /
• pp.330-337
• /
• 2001

Prickly pear(Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino, Cactaceae) is a tropical or subtropical plant, which is widely used as folk medicine for burned wound, edema and indigestion. Screening on the biological properties of the fruits(OFS-Fr) and stems(OFS-St) of the plant was carried out to prove the pharmacological significance. By hot plate and acetic acid-inducing writhing methods, significant analgesic effects of OFS-Fr and OFS-St were found in mice and anti-edemic effect was observed in carrageenin-induced inflammatory rats. However, the extracts showed no significant actions on central and autonomic nervous system and blood circulatory system, which imply no toxic effects to animal.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.485-491
• /
• 2009

In order to examine the nutritional value of prickly pear(Opuntia humifusa), contents of ash, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins were determined on freeze-dried stem, fruit, seed and root from plants harvested in autumn. The average moisture contents for stem, fruit, seed and root were 67~87%. Crude ash content determined on dry weight basis was 2~3%. Crude protein existed mostly in seed(2.95%) and root(2.37%). Crude fat was detected mainly in seed(4.49%). Contents of major minerals(mg/100 mg dry weight) was generally higher in stem. Ca in stem(4,142.30) and fruit(2,790.86) were much higher than in seed(43.37). P in stem, seed and fruit were 448.19, 263.20 and 161.59, respectively. Stem also displayed more abundant Mg(1,110.86), Zn(35.62) and Mn(37.07). However, fruit contained higher amounts of Fe(13.38) and Se(0.15). Vitamin A was negligible in all plant parts. Vitamin E contents in fruit and stem were 1.78 mg and 1.22 mg/mg dry weight, respectively. Vitamin C was detected mostly in fruit(445.40) and stem(260.94). Use of a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide-based microtiter assay of cell viability demonstrated an anti-proliferative effect of O. humifusa extract on the MCF-7 estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell line.

• 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.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.953-958
• /
• 2009

The antimicrobial activities, antioxidant effects, and total polyphenol contents of extracts of Prickly Pear Opuntia ficus indica, were investigated. In antimicrobial activity assays of solvent extract fractions, methanol and butanol extracts showed higher activities than did hexane and ether extracts. The stem showed a higher antimicrobial activity than did the fruit. When the antimicrobial activities of fruit and stem extracts was tested using 10 bacterial strains, strong activity was evident against Escherichia coli, with a lowest minimum inhibitory concentration of 100 mg/disk. However, no antimicrobial activities against lactic bacteria or yeasts were evident, even with disks containing more than 500 mg extract/disk. Antimicrobial substances in butanol extracts of fruit and stem maintained activity after heating at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min and were not affected by changes in pH. DPPH free radical-scavenging activities of solvent extracts were in the order of water, ethyl acetate, butanol, ether, and ethanol. The stem showed greater DPPH free radical-scavenging activity than did the fruit. The total polyphenol contents in fruit and stem were 520.57 and 203.26 mg%, respectively.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 2005

Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly known as prickly pear cactus, is commercially grown as a food and medicinal plant in Jeju Island, Korea. The crushed pads and fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica were dried in a freeze-dryer and ground into flour to be used for food materials. The major components of proximate compositions were part of a nitrogen free extract. The major minerals were Ca (4391.2-2086.9㎎%), K (1932.1-2608.7㎎%), and Mg (800.6-1984.8㎎%). The major amino acid was glutamic acid, comprising 16.3% of total amino acids in fruit and 25.2% in pad. Dihydroflavonols were identified as (+)-trans-dihydrokaempferol and (+)-trans-dihydroquercetin. Citric acid methyl esters extracted from fruits showed inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidase-B. The presence of trimethyl citrate has been reported in other plants, but 1,3-dimethyl citrate and 1-monomethyl citrate have not been previously reported. The results of pharmacological efficacy tests, including serum biochemical and hematological parameters, autonomic nervous system, anti-inflammatory, analgestic activity, anti-diabetic activity, antithrombotic, anticoagulant, dopamine beta-hydroxylase, monoamine oxidase activity, hyperlipidemia, the respiratory system, antigastic, and anti-ulcerative actions indicate that the fruit and pad of the Opuntia ficus-indica are rich sources of food and medicinal materials.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.9
• /
• pp.4655-4660
• /
• 2012

Opuntia humifusa, member of the Cactaceae family, was previously demonstrated to have radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects in in vitro models. It was suggested that O. humifusa could function in the prevention of carcinogenesis. To investigate the in vivo chemopreventive effect of O. humifusa, mice were fed a diet containing either 1% or 3% following 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene (DMBA) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induction of skin carcinogenesis. Significant decrease in the numbers of papilloma and epidermal hyperplasia were observed in mice fed with O. humifusa, compared to the control group. O. humifusa also upregulated high total antioxidant capacity and level of phase II detoxifying enzyme such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activity in the skin. Lipid peroxidation activity level was measured in skin cytosol and significantly inhibited in 3% OH fed group compared to the control group. These results suggest that O. humifusa exerts chemopreventive effects on chemical carcinogenesis in mouse skin and that prevention effects are associated with reduction of oxidative stress via the modulation of cutaneous lipid peroxidation, enhancing of total antioxidant capacity especially in phase II detoxifying enzyme system and partial apoptotic influence.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.1013-1016
• /
• 1995

The color stability of betacyanins and effects of antioxidants from Opuntia dillenii Haw were determined in the fruit juice at temperature up to $90^{\circ}C$. The absorption maxima of betacyanins occurred between 536 nm and 538 nm. When fruit juice was heated at $90^{\circ}C$ for various times, the red color gradually diminished and the absorption maxima slightly shifted toward uv region. The kinetic analysis of the data obtained indicated that the discoloration for betacyanins obeyed first order reaction pattern, when the thermal stability test was performed at $50{\sim}90^{\circ}C$. And the rate constant increased from $1.56{\times}10^{-3}/min\;to\;71.91{\times}10^{-3}/min$ with the half-life decreasing from 444.23 min to 9.64 min. The results also indicated that the thermal stability of pigment decreased with increasing temperature. The energy of activation was 10.94 kcal/mole for the pigment. N-propyl gallate, L-cysteine, and ascorbic acid were added to cactus fruit juice at concentrations of $0.01{\sim}0.3%$ at different temperatures. Npropyl gallate and L-cysteine had a little antioxidant effect on betacyanins stability at $50^{\circ}C\;and\;70^{\circ}C$, whereas ascorbic acid had a great antioxidant effect with the half-life value of 2 to 10 times to that of the control.