scholarly journals Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.: A Multi-Benefit Potential to Be Exploited

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 951
Author(s):  
Mafalda Alexandra Silva ◽  
Tânia Gonçalves Albuquerque ◽  
Paula Pereira ◽  
Renata Ramalho ◽  
Filipa Vicente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Prickly Pear ◽  
Opuntia Ficus Indica ◽  
Antioxidant Power ◽  
The World ◽  
Semi Arid

Consumer interest in foods with enhanced nutritional quality has increased in recent years. The nutritional and bioactive characterization of fruits and their byproducts, as well as their use in the formulation of new food products, is advisable, contributing to decrease the global concerns related to food waste and food security. Moreover, the compounds present in these raw materials and the study of their biological properties can promote health and help to prevent some chronic diseases. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (prickly pear) is a plant that grows wild in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world, being a food source for ones and a potential for others, but not properly valued. This paper carries out an exhaustive review of the scientific literature on the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds of prickly pear and its constituents, as well as its main biological activities and applications. It is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins and bioactive compounds. Many of its natural compounds have interesting biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and antimicrobial. The antioxidant power of prickly pear makes it a good candidate as an ingredient of new food products with fascinating properties for health promotion and/or to be used as natural extracts for food, pharmaceutic or cosmetic applications. In addition, it could be a key player in food security in many arid and semi-arid regions of the world, where there are often no more plants.

scholarly journals THE IMPORTANCE OF QUINOA (QUINOA CHENOPODIUM WILLD.) CULTIVATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A REVIEW

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-356
Author(s):  
A. FATHI ◽  
F. KARDONI
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
World Population ◽  
Cereal Grain ◽  
The World ◽  
Semi Arid

Quinoa is a dicotyledonous species for seeds and, therefore, is not known as a cereal grain and is a pseudograin, which is introduced nowadays as a new crop in the world. Population growth and the need for more food put additional pressure on the environment, especially on water resources and agronomic ecosystems. This has led to more attention to plants that grow at different latitudes and altitudes. Climatic and environmental changes affect agricultural inputs, especially water resources. So, the best way of adapting to the current situation is the introduction of low-water, salt resistant, and drought-tolerant plants to the recent climatic changes. Water scarcity has become a serious problem in many countries. This restriction has had a significant impact on the development of countries. The plants which grow in arid and semi-arid regions are often exposed to adverse environmental factors, such as drought or salinity. Salinity and drought stress, more than any other factor, decrease crop yields around the world. These two abiotic stresses are the main limiting factors for crop production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Quinoa is an exceptional plant that can adapt to adverse conditions and can serve as a solution to the challenge of global food security. Recent droughts that occurred in the world have prompted governments to include plants in their development plans, which are adapted to the country's existing water and soil conditions and have high nutritional value. This way, quinoa cultivation can ensure their food security in the coming years.

scholarly journals Cuantificación de pectinas en la pulpa del fruto de tres especies de tuna (Opuntioideae, Cactaceae)

2020 ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Argenis De Jesús Montilla Pacheco ◽  
Ismelda Del Valle Tovar Pérez ◽  
Henry Antonio Pacheco Gil
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
National Level ◽  
Prickly Pear ◽  
Opuntia Ficus Indica ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
Semi Arid

Quantification of pectin in the pulp of the fruit of three tuna species (Opuntioideae, Cactaceae) La tuna del género Opuntia es una de las plantas más importantes que se encuentra distribuida en las regiones semiáridas de Venezuela, a pesar de ser un recurso natural con un significativo valor alimentario, no existen suficientes investigaciones a nivel nacional que proporcionen información sobre la composición bromatológica de cada uno de sus componentes. La presente investigación tuvo como objeto cuantificar el contenido de pectina de la pulpa del fruto de tres especies de tuna del género Opuntia; Opuntia elatior, Opuntia boldinghii  y Opuntia ficus-indica a través del método de Carbazol, para posteriormente realizar comparaciones entre las especies en estudio. Los resultados obtenidos son expresados como porcentaje de ácido anhidrogalacturónico (%AAG). El análisis arrojó los siguientes valores: Opuntia elatior 0,1440% + 0,0044,  Opuntia boldinghii 0,1313% + 0,0071 y Opuntia ficus-indica 0,1531% + 0,0087. Se concluye que existen diferencias significativas entre el contenido de pectina de cada especie por cada 100g de muestra analizada. Palabras clave: Opuntia; pectina; ácido anhidrogalacturónico; Carbazol. Abstract Of the genus Opuntia prickly pear is one of the most important plants which is distributed in the semi-arid regions of Venezuela, despite being a natural resource with an significant nutritional value, there is not enough research at national level as Please provide information about the each of its components bromatological composition. The present research aimed to quantify the content of pectin from the pulp of the fruit of three species of the genus Opuntia tuna; Opuntia elatior, Opuntia boldinghii and Opuntia ficus - indicated by Carbazole method, then make comparisons between species to study.The results are expressed as a percentage of acid anhidrogalacturonico (% AAG). The analysis showed the following values: Opuntia elatior 0,1440% + 0,0044, Opuntia boldinghii 0,1313% + 0,0071 and Opuntia ficus - indica 0,1531% + 0,0087. It is concluded that there are significant differences between the content of pectin for each species per 100g of sample. Keywords:  Opuntia; pectin; anhydrogalacturonic acid; carbazole.

An integral profile of bioactive compounds and functional properties of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica L.) peel with different tonalities

2019 ◽  
Vol 278 ◽  
pp. 568-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. Amaya-Cruz ◽  
Iza F. Pérez-Ramírez ◽  
Jorge Delgado-García ◽  
Candelario Mondragón-Jacobo ◽  
Andrés Dector-Espinoza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Properties ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Prickly Pear ◽  
Opuntia Ficus Indica

scholarly journals Survey of ancient water technologies in semi-arid and arid regions: traditional knowledge for the future

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1278-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry W. Mays
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The World ◽  
Sustainability Problems ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Water Resources Sustainability

There are many people on Earth today that live with severe water shortages and severe lack of sanitation, particularly among the poor. These people for the most part do not understand the knowledge base of methodologies of harvesting and conveying water and sanitation methods that have been around for thousands of years. A survey of ancient water technologies used in semi-arid and arid regions is presented in this paper. The survey will include methodologies used by Mesopotamians, the Persians, the Egyptians, and the Nabataeans. The attempt here is to explore how these traditional methods developed by the ancients in semi-arid and arid regions of the world could possibly be used to help solve the present-day water resources sustainability problems, especially in developing parts of the world. The advantages of the traditional knowledge of ancient water technologies are explored with the goal of determining ways to help poor people with water shortages and sanitation.

scholarly journals PSIX-42 Comparasion of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) digestion kinetics with alfafa (Medicago sativa) and orchard (Dactylis glomerata) hays

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 390-390
Author(s):  
Karin van den Broek ◽  
Arturo Macias Franco ◽  
Aghata Silva ◽  
Felipe Henrique de moura ◽  
Mozart A Fonseca
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Prickly Pear ◽  
Opuntia Ficus Indica ◽  
Orchard Grass ◽  
Nc Program ◽  
Good Potential ◽  
Digestion Kinetics ◽  
Gas Volume ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract Opuntia ficus-indica is highly regarded as an emergency feed for livestock during drought and as a mainstay for the wildlife population in temperate semi-arid and arid parts of the United States. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of replacing alfalfa and orchard grass with different levels of prickly pear on digestion and fermentation patterns. Three forages were evaluated: alfalfa, orchard grass and prickly pear. In order to determine kinetics of digestion, gas volumes were measured after incubation periods of 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. Samples were run in triplicate with 2 blanks for a total of three periods. Data on gas production were fitted to the equation by Ørskov and McDonald (1979) using SAS software 9.4 (P ≤ 0.05; SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) program. The gas volume observed from the soluble fraction ‘a’ and ‘b’ were similar (P > 0.05) for prickly pear amongst all treatments; no difference was observed between alfalfa and cactus. The rate of gas production ‘c’ was higher in cactus (16.5%, h-1) than alfalfa and orchard grass (11.5%, h-1 and 7.7%, h-1, respectively). The extent ‘a +b’ of gas volumes revealed no difference among the test forages. Prickly pear showed a faster rate of degradation compared to alfalfa and orchard grass. A rapid rate of digestion means a faster passage of the material through the digestive tract. Thus, the higher values obtained for the ‘c’ and similar ‘a + b’ parameters in prickly pear compared to alfalfa or orchard grass, may signal it as a good potential alternative feed in arid and semi-arid areas.

scholarly journals Production System Diversification and Livelihood in the Drylands of North Central Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2750
Author(s):  
Benjamín Figueroa-Sandoval ◽  
Martín A. Coronado-Minjarez ◽  
Eduviges J. García-Herrera ◽  
Artemio Ramírez-López ◽  
Dora M. Sangerman-Jarquín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
North Central ◽  
Livelihood Security ◽  
The World ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Semi Arid

Drylands (arid and semi-arid regions) are important regions in the world; they have been disregarded and considered poor undeveloped regions due to their ecological limitations. Farmers in these regions tend towards diversification of production systems in order to achieve livelihood security, and this phenomenon has not been extensively studied. The objective of this study was to create a typology of the production systems present in the Mexican north central drylands, using variables related to production, socioeconomics, and social capital. 1044 interviews were conducted in the semi-arid region of north central Mexico. Analysis of the data allowed for the observation of nine types of production systems distributed in three groups: Subsistence, commercial, and off-farm income systems. The differences observed within these systems are due to generational gaps, gender differences, market orientation, and social capital. It can be concluded that the diversification of the dryland production systems allows for an understanding of why generic public policies have failed to mitigate poverty in these regions. The implications of the study refer to the reconfiguration of Mexican policies for the development of the drylands.

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