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Nopal Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill) as a Source of Bioactive Compounds

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Wild Fruits: Composition, Nutritional Value and Products

Abstract

Nowadays, both of academic scientists and food industry have presented great interest in the Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) (OFI) fruits. On the basis of previous studies, a various group of bioactive compounds is reported in OFI, whole fruit, pulp, flowers, seeds, and peels. They include, phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, sterols, lignans, saponins, vitamin E and vitamin C. The identified OFI bioactive compounds have demonstrated to be endowed with biologically relative activity such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemic, rheumatic pain, antiulcerogenic activity, gastric mucosa diseases and asthma. The purpose of this chapter to present the major classes of bioactive compounds in various part of OFI plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China

    Haroon Elrasheid Tahir & Zou Xiaobo

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana

    Mahunu Gustav Komla

  3. Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage Center, Ghibaish College of Science & Technology, Ghibaish, Sudan

    Abdalbasit Adam Mariod

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  1. Haroon Elrasheid Tahir
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  2. Zou Xiaobo
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  3. Mahunu Gustav Komla
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  4. Abdalbasit Adam Mariod
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Correspondence to Zou Xiaobo .

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  1. Ghibaish College of Science & Technology, Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage Center, Ghibaish, Sudan

    Abdalbasit Adam Mariod

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Tahir, H.E., Xiaobo, Z., Komla, M.G., Adam Mariod, A. (2019). Nopal Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill) as a Source of Bioactive Compounds. In: Mariod, A. (eds) Wild Fruits: Composition, Nutritional Value and Products. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31885-7_26

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