Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phenolic Profiles, Phytchemicals and Mineral Content of Decoction and Infusion of Opuntia ficus-indica Flowers

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Opuntia flowers are a natural source of biologically active compounds and they have been used as medicinal plant for a long time. Despite the various uses reported for the decoction and infusion of these flowers, their characterization has been discarded. In this study, the decoction and infusion prepared from Opuntia ficus-indica were analyzed with respect to their content in minerals and phytochemicals in order to evaluate its nutritional characteristics. The obtained data proved that these preparations are a rich source of minerals mainly K and Ca. Moreover, the phytochemical analysis revealed that they have important polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins contents with the infusion that presented the highest polyphenol levels. LC-MS analyses of decoction and infusion allowed the characterization of 20 phenolic compounds. It is mainly identified by the presence of flavonols glycosides.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lopez D (1995) A review: use of the fruits and stem of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp) into human food. Food Sci Technol Int 1:65–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Galati E, Mondello M, Giuffrida D, Dugo G, Miceli N, Pergolizzi S (2003) Chemical characterization and biological effects of Sicilian Opuntia ficus indica (L.) mill. fruit juice: antioxidant and antiulcerogenic activity. J Agric Food Chem 51:4903–4908

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Park E-H, Kahng J-H, Lee SH, Shin K-H (2001) An anti-inflammatory principle from cactus. Fitoterapia 72(3):288–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. López-Romero P, Pichardo-Ontiveros E, Avila-Nava A, Vázquez-Manjarrez N, Tovar AR, Pedraza-Chaverri J, Torres N (2014) The effect of nopal (Opuntia Ficus Indica) on postprandial blood glucose, incretins, and antioxidant activity in Mexican patients with type 2 diabetes after consumption of two different composition breakfasts. J Acad Nutr Diet 114:1811–1818

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Tesoriere L, Allegra M, Butera D, Livrea MA (2004) Absorption, excretion, and distribution of dietary antioxidant betalains in LDLs: potential health effects of betalains in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 80(4):941–945

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fernández-López J, Almela L, Obón J, Castellar R (2010) Determination of antioxidant constituents in cactus pear fruits. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65(3):253–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bensadón S, Hervert-Hernández D, Sáyago-Ayerdi SG, Goñi I (2010) By-Products of Opuntia ficus-indica as a source of antioxidant dietary fiber. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65:210–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. El Kossori RL, Villaume C, El Boustani E, Sauvaire Y, Méjean L (1998) Composition of pulp, skin and seeds of prickly pears fruit (Opuntia ficus indica sp.). Plant Foods Hum Nutr 52(3):263–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Alimi H, Hfaiedh N, Bouoni Z, Sakly M, Ben Rhouma K (2011) Evaluation of antioxidant and antiulcerogenic activities of Opuntia ficus indica f. inermis flowers extract in rats. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 32:406–416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. De Leo M, Abreu MB, De Pawlowska AM, Cioni PL, Braca A (2010) Profiling the chemical content of Opuntia ficus-indica flowers by HPLC–PDA-ESI-MS and GC/EIMS analyses. Phytochem Lett 3:48–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chahdoura H, Barreira JCM, Barros L, Santos-Buelga C, Ferreira ICFR, Achour L (2014) Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff flowers in different stages of maturity. J Funct Foods 9:27–37

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ammar I, Ennouri M, Bali O, Attia H (2014) Characterization of two prickly pear species flowers growing in Tunisia at four flowering stages. LWT-Food Sci Technol 59(1):448–454

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Clark WD (1980) Parfeitt BD, Flower flavonoids of Opuntia series Opuntiae. Phytochemistry 19:1856–1857

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Monforte MT (2002) Biological effects of Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. (Cactaceae) waste matter. Note I: diuretic activity. J Ethnopharmacol 79:17–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. AOAC (1995) Official Methods of Analyses. Association of Official Analytical Chemist, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  16. AFNOR, AFNOR (1996) Dosage des minéraux- méthodes par spectrométrie d’émission de flamme. NF-T-90-019. Association Française de Normalisation, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  17. Pljevljakušić D, Šavikin K, Janković T, Zdunić G, Ristić M, Godjevac D, Konić-Ristić A (2011) Chemical properties of the cultivated Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr. subsp. raeseri. Food Chem 124:226–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Malik J, Frankova A, Drabek O, Szakova J, Ash C, Kokoska L (2013) Aluminium and other elements in selected herbal tea plant species and their infusions. Food Chem 139(1–4):728–734

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Musa Özcan M, Ünver A, Uçar T, Arslan D (2008) Mineral content of some herbs and herbal teas by infusion and decoction. Food Chem 106:1120–1127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Singleton VL, Orthofer R, Lamuela-Raventos RM (1999) Analysis of total phenols and other oxidation substrates and antioxidants by means of folin-ciocalteu reagent. Methods Enzymol 299:152–178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhishen J, Mengcheng T, Jianming W (1999) The determination of flavonoid contents in mulberry and their scavenging effects on superoxide radicals. Food Chem 64:555–559

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Julkunen-Tiitto R (1985) Phenolic constituents in the leaves of northern willows: methods for the analysis of certain phenolics. J Agric Food Chem 33:213–217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kite GC, Stoneham CA, Veitch NC (2007) Flavonol tetraglycosides and other constituents from leaves of Styphnolobium japonicum (Leguminosae) and related taxa. Phytochemistry 68:1407–1416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Contreras-Padilla M, Rivera-Muñoz EM, Gutiérrez-Cortez E, del López AR, Rodríguez-García ME (2014) Characterization of crystalline structures in Opuntia ficus-indica. J Biol Phys 41(1):99–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Battaglini C (1939) Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the organic constituents of the flowers of Opuntia ficus-indica and the decoction of the flowers. Ann Chim Farm 70–73

  26. Grilli Caiola M (1999) Reproduction biology of saffron and its allies. In: Negbi M (ed) Saffron: Crocus Sativus L. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, pp 31–44

    Google Scholar 

  27. Falade OS, Otemuyiwa IO, Oladipo A, Oyedapo OO, Akinpelu BA, Adewusi SRA (2005) The chemical composition and membrane stability activity of some herbs used in local therapy for anemia. J Ethnopharmacol 102:15–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Dietary Reference Intakes (1997) For calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D, and fluoride. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine

  29. Dietary Reference Intakes (2001) For vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine

  30. Powell JJ, Burden TJ, Thompson RPH (1998) In vitro mineral availability from digested tea: a rich dietary source of manganese. Analyst 123:1721–1724

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Prenesti E, Berto S, Daniele PG, Toso S (2007) Antioxidant power quantification of decoction and cold infusions of Hibiscus sabdariffa flowers. Food Chem 100(2):433–438

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Guimarães R, Barros L, Dueñas M, Calhelha RC, Carvalho AM, Santos-Buelga C, Queiroz MJR, Ferreira ICFR (2013) Infusion and decoction of wild German chamomile: bioactivity and characterization of organic acids and phenolic compounds. Food Chem 136:947–954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Chen S, Fang L, Xi H, Guan L, Fang J, Liu Y, Wu B, Li S (2012) Simultaneous qualitative assessment and quantitative analysis of flavonoids in various tissues of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quad mass spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta 724:127–135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Quispe C, Viveros-Valdez E, Schmeda-Hirschmann G (2012) Phenolic constituents of the chilean herbal tea Fabiana imbricata R. et P. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 67:242–246

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of Interest

Authors have not financial relationship with the organization that sponsored the research.

Imene Ammar declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Monia Ennouri declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Mohamed Bouaziz declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Amal Ben Amira declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Hamadi Attia declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Compliance with Ethics Requirements

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alimentary Analysis Laboratory, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 3038, Sfax, Tunisia

    Imene Ammar, Monia Ennouri, Amal Ben Amira & Hamadi Attia

  2. Higher Institute of Applied Sciences & Technology of Mahdia, Université de Monastir, Sidi Messaoud 5111, Mahdia, Tunisia

    Monia Ennouri

  3. Laboratoire d’Electrochimie et Environnement, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1177, Sfax, Tunisia

    Mohamed Bouaziz

Authors
  1. Imene Ammar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Monia Ennouri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mohamed Bouaziz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Amal Ben Amira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hamadi Attia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Imene Ammar.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(PDF 130 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ammar, I., Ennouri, M., Bouaziz, M. et al. Phenolic Profiles, Phytchemicals and Mineral Content of Decoction and Infusion of Opuntia ficus-indica Flowers. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 70, 388–394 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-015-0505-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-015-0505-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation