Work

Valorization of Mexican prickly pear cladodes ( Opuntia spp) as a source of antifungal compounds against phytopathogenic strains

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.) has been widely consumed in Mexico as an important source of nutrients in the diet. Older, larger, and fibrous cladodes lose commercial interest for human consumption, resulting in a by-product rich in different bioactive compounds. In this work, the optimization of a microwave pretreatment combined with a reflux extraction of antioxidants from Opuntia spp cladodes was performed. The optimal factors were the liquid/solid ratio (24 mL/g), ethanol percentage (25%), and microwave pre-treatment time (3.88 min), with a phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and extract yield of 33.47 g GA/kg, 259.66 µmol Trolox/g, and 4.16%, respectively. The design was validated with fit percentages between 90.14% and 97.80%. The optimized extract exhibited growth inhibition against Colletotrichum gloesosporioides (85.27%), Fusarium verticillioides (58.47%), and Helminthosporium sp (77.87%). Furthermore, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, rutin, myricetin, isorhamnetin, sinapic acid, and kaempferol were identified in the extract.

Source: CyTA - Journal of Food

DOI: 10.1080/19476337.2025.2544932

Authors: Vicente Antonio Mirón-Mérida, Martha Angélica Pardo-Islas, Jorge Yañez-Fernández, Paulina Gutiérrez-Macías, Blanca Estela Barragán-Huerta

Institutions: Tecnológico de Monterrey, Instituto Politécnico Nacional

Language: English

Topic: Botanical Research and Applications

Subfield: Food Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,790