Nopal Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) as a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Nutrition, Health and Disease

Molecules

Karym El-Mostafa²  Youssef El Kharrassi²  Asmaa Badreddine²  Pierre Andreoletti²  Joseph Vamecq⁴  M’Hammed Sa໽ El Kebbaj⁵  Norbert Latruffe²  Gérard Lizard¹  Boubker Nasser³ 

[1] Inserm and Laboratoire Bio-PeroxIL, EA7270 University of Bourgogne, 6 Bd Gabriel, Dijon F-21000, France;Laboratoire Bio-PeroxIL, EA7270 University of Bourgogne, 6 Bd Gabriel, Dijon F-21000, France;Laboratoire de Biochimie et Neurosciences, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Hassan I, BP 577, Settat 26 000, Morocco;Inserm and HMNO, CBP, CHRU Lille, Lille 59037, France;Laboratoire de recherche sur les Lipoprotéines et l’Athérosclérose, Faculté des Sciences Ben M’sik, Avenue Cdt Driss El Harti BP. 7955, Université Hassan II-Mohammedia-Casablanca, Casablanca 20 000, Morocco

关键词: anti-inflammatory;    antioxidants;    cell signaling;    Opuntia ficus-indica;    polyphenols;   

DOI  :  10.3390/molecules190914879

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly referred to as prickly pear or nopal cactus, is a dicotyledonous angiosperm plant. It belongs to the Cactaceae family and is characterized by its remarkable adaptation to arid and semi-arid climates in tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. In the last decade, compelling evidence for the nutritional and health benefit potential of this cactus has been provided by academic scientists and private companies. Notably, its rich composition in polyphenols, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and amino acids has been highlighted through the use of a large panel of extraction methods. The identified natural cactus compounds and derivatives were shown to be endowed with biologically relevant activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial and neuroprotective properties. The present review is aimed at stressing the major classes of cactus components and their medical interest through emphasis on some of their biological effects, particularly those having the most promising expected health benefit and therapeutic impacts.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.