Flavonol profile of cactus fruits (Opuntia ficus-indica) enriched cereal-based extrudates: Authenticity and impact of extrusion

In previous studies, it was hypothesized that isorhamnetin glycosides are the dominant flavonol derivatives occurring in the peels and cladodes of cactus Opuntia ficus-indica fruits and might be used as markers for analyzing the authenticity of food products containing (whole) cactus fruits or cladodes. In the present work, use of the whole yellow-orange fruit from cactus O. ficus-indica as an ingredient of rice- and corn-based snacks was evaluated. The impact of extrusion cooking on the flavonol profile was characterized in rice- and corn-based extruded products fortified with a freeze-dried preparation from the whole cactus fruit. HPLC analysis showed that the flavonol profile of cactus O. ficus-indica consisted of five prominent isorhamnetin glycosides with a concentration of 148.9 μg/100 mg dw. In contrast, the rice or corn grits used in the present study did not contain any flavonol at all. The freeze-dried fruit was added in different ratios (0, 2, 6, and 10%) to the rice or corn grits prior to the extrusion process. Analysis of the final extrusion products showed that flavonol profiles from the fortified rice or corn products, even at the lowest level of addition (2%), were similar to the original profile of the fruit before processing. Furthermore, the total flavonol content in extruded products was not significantly affected by extrusion cooking. This study showed that the unique flavonol profile of fruits from cactus O. ficus-indica might serve as a biochemical marker for the evaluation of the authenticity of products made from whole cactus fruit or the fruit's peel.     

Health-promoting substances and antioxidant properties of Opuntia sp. fruits. Changes in bioactive-compound contents during ripening process

Several Opuntia cactus fruits of different pulp colours from Argentina were studied at their physiological mature states. Analyses of these fruits showed very variable total soluble solid values and ascorbic acid contents ranging from 0.26 to 0.48 mg/g. Total phenolic compounds contents were between 0.54 and 1.2 mg of gallic acid/g, respectively. Purple Opuntia spp., dark purple Opuntia ficus-indica and orange Opuntia megacantha presented the highest levels amongst the samples studied. The antioxidant activity of Opuntia fruits was very variable and presented vitamin C equivalent values (VCEAC) between 0.25 and 0.57 mg/g. Purple Opuntia ficus-indica showed the highest antiradical ability. Besides, the antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid and phenolic compound contents in yellow and orange Opuntia megacantha fruits were monitored in different stages during their ripening process. Concentration changes of betalains and chlorophylls comparing skin and pulp and other physicochemical parameters were also measured in these fruits.     

Development of a process for the production of a betalain-based colouring foodstuff from cactus pear

Since no process has yet been established for the production of cactus pear juice, the present work aimed at the development of a betalain-based colouring foodstuff from Opuntia ficus-indica cv. ‘Gialla’ and cv. ‘Rossa’ of two seasons applying unit operations typical for fruit juice production. Complete separation of the peels from the pulp and removal of seeds were achieved by carborundum peeling of the frozen fruits and subsequent passing through a finisher. Furthermore, for improved filtration of cactus pear juice different enzyme preparations were tested to degrade pectic-like substances. To monitor quality changes in the course of processing, juice samples were analysed after each processing step in terms of colour and selected chemical parameters. While lightness (L*) and chroma (C*) increased during processing for both cultivars, hue angle (h°) remained unchanged for the yellow cultivar ‘Gialla’, but a slight shift towards red was observed for the red cultivar ‘Rossa’ after pasteurisation. Unexpectedly, even after repeated thermal treatment neither non-enzymatic browning nor HMF formation was observed in juices from both cultivars.Industrial relevanceCactus pear represents a viable alternative to red beet for food colouring purposes: it neither exhibits negative sensorial impact nor high nitrate levels, but offers a broad colour range. However, no attempt has yet been made to benefit from this potential. The process developed is considered suitable for being scaled up to industrial-scale production thus opening an avenue for large-scale cactus pear fruit processing.     

Effect of Solids Concentration on the Physicochemical and Flow Properties of Cactus Pear Juices of Two Varieties (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Opuntia ficus-indica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Opuntia streptacantha</Emphasis>)

Juices from two varieties of cactus pear, a green (Opuntia ficus-indica) and a red (Opuntia streptacantha), were obtained and concentrated by evaporation. Both fruit varieties and their juices at different concentrations were characterized. Green cactus pears had significantly higher amount of pulp than red cactus pears; the peel of O. ficus-indica represented only 38 versus 52 % of the fruit for the O. streptacantha. Both varieties had no significant differences on moisture, density, pH, and titratable acidity, in contrary to soluble solids. Juice was concentrated under vacuum conditions to reach a final concentration of 42, 53–55, and 58–60 °Brix, respectively, and stored under refrigeration (10 °C) during 4 weeks. Physicochemical properties of the pears and juices were determined as fresh items (time zero) and every week for the concentrate juices through storage; similarly, flow parameters were measured at 10 and 25 °C. Concentrate density (1160–1283 kg/m³) was mainly affected by final soluble solids, while pH and acidity were affected differently depending on the variety. Concentrated juices at 42 °Brix were considered with Newtonian behavior with a viscosity of 2–22 mPa s, while those at higher concentrations were of pseudoplastic nature (n < 1.0 and K > 69 mPa sⁿ). Power Law model fitted better the flow behavior than Herschel-Bulkley model of concentrates of both varieties. Temperature, solid concentration, and/or storage time affected the consistency coefficient (K) and flow index (n) depending on the cactus pear variety. Overall, those concentrated juices from O. streptacantha were more stable and exhibited lower apparent viscosity.     

Phenolics, betacyanins and antioxidant activity in Opuntia joconostle fruits

Sour prickly pears (xoconostles) are fruits from Opuntia joconostle cactus, which are cultivated in the central Mexico area. Phenolic and pigment content in various parts of O. joconostle fruits were analyzed. The antioxidant activity of a methanolic extraction and different semi-purified fractions were also evaluated by the DPPH⁺ method. Xoconostle fruits were obtained from a commercial orchard in Mexico State. Fruits were analyzed as whole fruit and each fruit part including pericarp, mesocarp and endocarp. Samples were homogenized and kept at 4 °C until sample preparation. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content varied among the different parts of the fruit. The highest amount of phenolic compounds and total flavonoids content were found in pericarp 2.07 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g fresh weight (FW) and 0.46 mg(+)-catechin equivalents (CE)/g FW respectively. Seven phenolics were identified as protocatechuic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, vanillic and syringic acids, rutin, and quercetin. The color of the fruit parts was mainly due to the presence of betacyanins. The betacyanin concentration was higher in the endocarp (23.03 mg betanin equivalents/100 g fresh weight) than in the pericarp and mesocarp. Betacyanins were identified by HPLC-PDA-MS as betanin, isobetanin, betanidin, isobetanidin, and phyllocactin. Methanolic extracts and semi-purified fractions A (phenolics and flavonols) and B (betacyanins) of xoconostle showed high antioxidant activity mainly in the pericarp. These results suggest that xoconostle is a rich source of antioxidant compounds such as phenolic compounds and betacyanins.     

Evaluation of colour properties and chemical quality parameters of cactus juices

The chemical composition and visual appearance of cactus fruits from the genera Opuntia and Hylocereus were investigated. Colour properties were assessed in solutions with pH ranging from 1 to 8 and expressed as chroma, hue and colour shade. Between pH 3 and 7, all samples were stable as indicated by hue and chroma values. The colour shade of the red juice of Opuntia ficus-indica cv. 'Rossa' was in the range of red beet preparations hitherto most commonly used for colouring low-acid food commodities. Hylocereus was characterized by purplish hues, whereas the juice from O. ficus-indica cv. 'Gialla' displayed a yellow tonality. An improved spectrophotometric method for pigment quantification was proposed. Betacyanin contents were 525.3, 73.9 and 1.3 mg/l in juices from Hylocereus polyrhizus, Opuntia ficus-indica cv. 'Rossa' and O. ficus-indica cv. 'Gialla', whereas betaxanthins amounted to 48.3, 36.4 and 5.3 mg/l in O. ficus-indica cv. 'Gialla', O. ficus-indica cv. 'Rossa', and H. polyrhizus, respectively. Although the colourless fruits from O. ficus-indica cv. 'Bianca' and H. undatus could not be considered as a colour source, selected quality parameters were also investigated with respect to their nutritional value. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the chemical quality parameters of H. polyrhizus and H. undatus.     

Dielectric properties of guava,mamey sapote,prickly pears,and Nopal in the microwave range

Dielectric properties (DPs) of selected fruits: guava (Psidium guajava), mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota), red prickly pear (fruit from Opuntia streptacantha), and white prickly pear (fruit from Opuntia ficus-indica), as well as nopal (young cactus pads or cladodes from Opuntia ficus-indica) were studied. DPs were determined using the open-ended coaxial probe method at microwave frequencies (500 MHz–2 GHz) and temperatures of 20, 40, and 60ºC. At 20ºC and 915 MHz for unripe fruits, dielectric constant values ranged from 65.7 to 70.9, while the loss factor had values between 8.4 and 20.7. Both dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor were affected by temperature and frequency (p < 0.05). For example, loss factor for red prickly pear at 2450 MHz decreased from 13.88 at 20ºC to 12.8 at 40ºC and 11.7 at 60ºC. DPs of fruits were also affected by their ripening (quantified through the maturity index). In addition, penetration depth decreased with increasing frequency, ranging from 1.98 to 4.80 cm at 915 MHz and from 0.25 to 0.41 cm at 5800 MHz. Results are valuable to develop further applications with microwave technology for these foods, such as microwave-assisted disinfestation treatments or microwave drying.     

Effect of soluble fiber on the physicochemical properties of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica) encapsulated using spray drying

The effects of red cactus pear encapsulation using spray drying with soluble fiber were evaluated. Cactus pear juice was mixed with 15, 22.5, or 30% soluble fiber and dried at 160, 180, or 200°C. Juice showed high levels of polyphenols, quercetin, kaempferol, isoharmetin, betacyanins, betaxanthins, and a high antioxidant activity. Increased soluble fiber amounts significantly (p<0.05) increased the pH, aw, water solubility index (WSI), L*, and b* values. Levels of polyphenols and betacyanins decreased significantly (p<0.05) as the soluble fiber content and the drying temperature increased, respectively. Encapsulation at 160°C and 22.5% of soluble fiber yielded good physical properties and high bioactive compounds. Microscopic analysis showed spherically shaped capsules, the shape was affected by the concentration of added soluble fiber. Low soluble fiber concentrations were associated with more collapsed capsules. Soluble fiber for encapsulating cactus pear resulted in a powder with good properties that can be used as a food ingredient.     

Microencapsulation by spray drying of bioactive compounds from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica)

Bioactive compounds of pulp (CP) and ethanolic (CE) extracts of the cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) were encapsulated with maltodextrin (MD) or inulin (I). A 2² statistical factorial design was then used to study the stability of the powders obtained at the optimal conditions for each system (CP–MD, CP–I, CE–MD and CE–I) at 60 °C in the dark. The 3:1 ratio of core/coating material and 140 °C inlet air temperature were the optimal conditions for CP–MD and CE–MD systems; whereas, for CP–I and CE–I, the ratios were 3:1 and 5:1, respectively, and 120 °C was used for the inlet air temperature for both systems. An increase of phenolic compounds was observed in all systems during storage at 60 °C. Indicaxanthins in all systems showed a slow degradation during storage at 60 °C and were more stable than betacyanins. The microcapsules described in this study represent an interesting food additive for incorporation into functional foods, due to both the presence of antioxidants and as a red colourant.     

Effects of gardenia seed,green tea,and cactus pear in rice batter on the chemical quality of lotus root <Emphasis Type="Italic">bugak</Emphasis> and frying oil

This study investigated the effects of the addition of gardenia seed, green tea, or cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) to rice batter at 10% on the lipid oxidation, pigments, antioxidants, and antioxidant activity of lotus root bugak and frying oil. Lipid oxidation was evaluated based on the conjugated dienoic acid and p-anisidine values. Lipid oxidation and tocopherol degradation were significantly reduced in the gardenia seed-added bugak and frying oil, whereas the cactus pear-added bugak and frying oil showed an increase. The addition of green tea had no significant effects on the lipid oxidation of bugak and frying oil. The in vitro antioxidant activity of lotus root bugak significantly increased with the addition of gardenia seed, green tea, or cactus pear. The results suggested that green tea and gardenia seed could improve the health and food functionality of antioxidation for lotus root bugak, respectively.     

Effects of UVB Light,Wounding Stress,and Storage Time on the Accumulation of Betalains,Phenolic Compounds,and Ascorbic Acid in Red Prickly Pear (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Opuntia ficus-indica</Emphasis> cv. Rojo Vigor)

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica cv. Rojo Vigor) fruit is an excellent source of secondary metabolites with health-promoting properties (i.e., betalains, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid), and thus, it is relevant to find postharvest treatments that increase their concentration. Postharvest abiotic stresses such as wounding and ultraviolet radiation can induce the accumulation of secondary metabolites in different horticultural crops. In the present study, the effect of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation applied alone or combined with wounding stress on the accumulation of betalains, phenolics, and ascorbic acid in red prickly pear was evaluated. Whole and wounded fruit samples were treated with UVB radiation (6.4 W m^?2) for 0, 15, 90, and 180 min and stored for 24 h at 16 °C. The content of bioactive compounds was evaluated before and after storage. The application of UVB radiation for 15 min was the most adequate treatment to induce the accumulation of bioactive compounds. In this context, UVB radiation (15 min) of the wounded tissue resulted on an immediate accumulation of betalains (33–40%) and ascorbic acid (54–58%) in the pulp and peel of the fruit. Likewise, after storage, the pulp of irradiated whole fruits showed the highest accumulation of phenolics (125.8%) and betalains (49.8%) as compared with the control, whereas the stored wounded tissue treated with UVB presented accumulation of ascorbic acid in the pulp (67.2%) and peel (84.6%). The stressed tissue with enhanced concentration of nutraceuticals could be transformed into functional processed foods or used as raw material for the extraction of compounds with applications in health-related markets.     

Cactus pear peel snacks prepared by instant pressure drop texturing: Effect of process variables on bioactive compounds and functional properties

Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) has a growing interest from both food manufacturers and consumers due to its medicinal and functional traits. Peel is a major waste from cactus pear juice industry accounting for about 38?% of the fruit weight. New concept of snacks preparation has been developed using instant controlled pressure drop (Détente instantanée controlee, DIC) techniques that provide a texturing stage between initial and final hot air drying stages. In this study, the application of DIC of cactus pear peel (CPP) was performed to be used as starch-free snacks with functional attributes. DIC resulted in high crispness CPP snacks with improved structural and nutritional attributes as well as high relative expansion ratio (up to 21 times). DIC expanded CPP snacks exhibited cutting force (3.34 N) that was much lower than untreated CPP (19.41 N). It is worth noting that optimized DIC treatment (P?=?0.6 MPa for t?=?15 s) allowed more availability of phenolic compounds and β-carotene by 83 and 551?%, respectively. In addition, antioxidant activity was increased up to 53?%. Results showed that steam pressure had significant effect on fat and alcohol insoluble solids (AIS) contents, wherein the correlation coefficients revealed critical relationships between structural and biochemical availabilities. Therefore, DIC could be used as an innovative technology to value this by-product leading to manufacture of crispy CPP snacks with high nutritious quality. There was a significant difference among the DIC treated and untreated CPP in respect to sensory properties, DIC treated CPP at operation conditions of saturated steam pressure?=?0.6 MPa and processing time?=?15 had the highest acceptability.     

Identification and quantification of flavonol aglycons in cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit using a commercial pectinase and cellulase preparation

The applicability of pectinases and cellulases as soft hydrolysing agents on flavonol glycosides was investigated for identification and quantification of flavonol aglycons in cactus pear fruit. Freeze-dried samples of cactus pear fruit’s peel (cactus pear peels) and onions were treated with commercial pectinase and cellulase preparations at 50 °C for different time periods (up to 16 h). Additionally isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside and quercetin-3,4′-O-diglucoside were used as model compounds. In parallel, samples of cactus pear peels and onions were treated by the traditional acidic hydrolysis using HCl. Following hydrolysis, flavonols were characterised using HPLC–DAD. Enzymatically, all model compounds and plant material were highly hydrolysable. Flavonol glycosides were completely hydrolysed after 16 h (cactus pear) and 4 h (onion), respectively. While the acidic hydrolysis caused degradation of the flavonols and produced protocatechuic acid as a degradation product, the enzymatic hydrolysis gave gentle effects and did not produce any protocatechuic acid at all.     

Physicochemical,Nutritional, and Functional Characterization of Fruits Xoconostle (Opuntia matudae) Pears from Central-México Region

Abstract: Xoconostle cv. Cuaresmeño (Opuntia matudae) has attracted domestic and international industry attention; however, variations of composition from xoconostle structures have not been evaluated. Industries discard the pulp (endocarp) and peel (pericarp) as wastes and utilize the skin (mesocarp), which is the edible portion. The physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characterization of structures from xoconostle pear from 3 major sites of production in Mexico were assessed. Skin yield ranged from 58% to 64% and was higher to that of peel (22% to 24%) and pulp (12% to 18%) yields. pH, °Brix, and acidity were similar among xoconostle structures. Total fiber showed by peel (18.23% to 20.37%) was 2-fold higher than that of skin. Protein and ether extract were higher in xoconostle pulp compared to that showed by peel and skin. Iron content of xoconostle peel (6 to 9.6 mg/100 g, DWB) was higher to that of skin and pulp and prickly pear pulp. Soluble phenols of peel (840 to 863 mg GAE/100 g, DWB) were almost similar to that of skin (919 to 986 mg GAE/100 g, dry weigh basis); meanwhile, ascorbic acid concentration of skin was 2-fold higher compared to that of peel. The phenolic fraction of xoconostle structures consisted of gallic, vanillic, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids; catechin, epicatechin, and vanillin were also identified by high-performance liquid chromatography–didoe array detection (HPLC-DAD). Xoconostle peel showed higher antioxidant activity (TEAC) compared to that of skin (2-fold) and pulp (6-fold) of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. The potential of xoconostle peel and pulp for the production of feed or food is promissory. Practical Application: Outstanding nutritional and functional properties of xoconostle cv. Cuaresmeño fruits are demonstrated. Increased consumption could contribute positively to improve the diet of rural and urban consumers. The high fiber, mineral, and antioxidant components of xoconostle peel and pulp suggest that these fruit structures, which are currently discarded as waste, have promissory use as feed or food by industry.     

Water Diffusivity and Color of Cactus Pear Fruits (Opuntia Ficus Indica) Subjected to Osmotic Dehydration

This paper details the results of a series of tests whose main purpose was to determinate how osmotic drying influences both water loss and color retention in cactus pear fruits. The dehydration process was performed using a 3² experimental design which involved three different sugar concentration levels (40, 50, and 608Brix) and three different temperatures (25, 40, and 558C). A product/solution ratio of 1/15, cactus pear cylindrical slices 5 mm thick, and ten-hour immersion time spans were used for all the experiments. Modeling of the drying curves was done with Fick's second law and Page's equation, which were used to calculate water effective diffusivity (D_e), drying constant (k), and the b values respectively. The color parameters (L*, a*, b*) of the samples were measured before and after each test to evaluate total color change (ΔE). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that water diffusivity and Page's parameter b were affected by temperature and sugar concentration while the drying constant (k) was independent of the drying conditions. The total color change was affected only by the temperature. D_e and b values varied from 4.06×10^?11 to 2.95×10^?10 m²/s, and from 0.453 to 0.861 respectively. The best color retention was obtained at 25°C independent of the sugar concentration.     

Phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of different fruit fractions (peel,pulp, aril and seed) of Thai gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng)

Three fractions (peel, pulp and aril) of gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) were investigated for their phytochemicals (lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein and phenolic compounds) and their antioxidant activity. The results showed that the aril had the highest contents for both lycopene and beta-carotene, whilst peel (yellow) contained the highest amount of lutein. Two major phenolic acid groups: hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic were identified and quantified. Gallic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were found in all fractions. Ferulic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were most evident in pulp. Myricetin was the only flavonoid found in all fractions. Apigenin was the most predominant flavonoid in pulp (red), whereas rutin and luteolin gave the highest content in aril. The extracts of different fractions exhibited different levels of antioxidant activity in the systems tested. The aril extract showed the highest FRAP value. The greatest antioxidant activities of peel and pulp extracts were at immature stage, whereas those in the seed extracts increased from mature stage to ripe stage. The contents of total phenolic and total flavonoid in peel and pulp decreased during the fruit development stage (immature > ripe fruit) and subsequently displayed lower antioxidant capacity, except for the seed.     

Effect of a sodium caseinate edible coating on berry cactus fruit (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) phytochemicals

Berry cactus fruit (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) is an endemic cactus fruit from Mexico and is a rich source of phytochemicals, primarily betacyanins, betalains and polyphenols. However, only a few studies have been performed to evaluate the changes in the levels of these compounds in berry cactus fruits during post harvest storage. Berry cactus fruits were treated with a sodium caseinate (Na-Cas) based edible coating plasticized with sorbitol (S) and glycerol (G), and their phytochemical contents were evaluated. Control (C), Na-Cas(S) and Na-Cas(G) fruits were packed in clam shell boxes and stored at 5 ± 1 °C for 15 days. Betacyanins, betaxanthins, total polyphenols, their in vitro antioxidant activity, as well as ??-amylase and ??-glucosidase inhibitory activities were estimated during storage at 0, 7 and 15 days. Polyphenol levels declined from an initial 3500 mg/100 g of dry fruit by over 50% after 7 days of storage. By contrast, total betalain levels remained steady during the 15 days of storage. Antioxidant capacity, as measured by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) radical scavenging, was maintained in berry cactus fruit extracts during storage. Edible coatings did not have any effects on the antioxidant capacity. Berry cactus polyphenols were also strong inhibitors of ??-amylase and ??-glucosidase activities. Portulacaxanthin II and III, indicaxanthin, vulgaxanthin I and III, 3-methoxytyramine-betaxanthin, arginine-betaxanthin, betanidin, dopa-betaxanthin, betanin, phyllocactin, and three other unknown compounds were identified as betalains. As well, a catechin derivative, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, kaempferol, myricitrin, quercetin 3-O-??-glucoside, isorhamnetin 3-glucoside and a kampferol diglycoside were identified as polyphenols.     

Relationship and correlation between antioxidant content and capacity,processing method and fruit colour of cactus pear fruit

Cactus pear fruit is a valuable source of antioxidants and could be an important functional ingredient in foods. Cultivars differ in fruit colour, which may indicate the presence of specific antioxidants. There is increased interest for cactus pear-derived products due to their potential nutraceutical effects, and determining antioxidant potential in processed foods is an important measure to ascertain the quality of a processed product. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship of fruit processing method and colour with antioxidant content and activity in fresh and processed cactus pear fruit. Antioxidant components (ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, carotenes and betalains) and antioxidant activity (radical scavenging activity towards 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and iron chelating capacity) were determined in fresh and processed (juiced, dried, preserved and chutney) fruits from four different coloured cultivars (purple, green, orange and pink). The highest antioxidant content and potential was found in purple (O. robusta cv Robusta) fruit products, attributed to the highest levels of betalains (1140.4 mg kg^?1). Orange fruit (O. ficus-indica) products had the second highest levels, attributed to ascorbic acid and phenolics. Betalains were highly retained in all processed products, while ascorbic acid was mostly retained in the processed products that involved minimal heat treatment. Carotene and phenolic compounds became more available for extraction during processing and showed higher levels after processing. Principal component analysis makes it possible to identify fruit colours of fresh and processed products, which were mostly associated with a specific antioxidant. In the PCA biplot, PC1 (47.93%) and PC2 (21.93%) explained 69.15% of the total variation: a processing method rather than colour-correlated products in terms of antioxidant content and potential. PCA indicated that fresh purple fruit was correlated with chelating activity and betalains, while orange fruit was clustered with phenolics, ascorbic acid, carotene and DPPH. For the processed fruit products, most were clustered together with chelating activity, DPPH and the antioxidants. Orange and pink dried products had high ascorbic acid, phenolics, carotene and DPPH values, while dried and fresh purple fruit had high betalain content and chelating activity.     

Chemical characterization of Opuntia dillenii and Opuntia ficus indica fruits

The chemical compositions (moisture, °Brix, total fibre, protein, fat, ash, pH, acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni and Cr) were determined in fruits belonging to two species of prickly pear, Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia dillenii, from Tenerife Island. The chemical compositions of the two species were clearly different. However, no important differences were observed between orange and green prickly pears within the specie O. ficus indica. An important contribution to the intakes of fibre, ascorbic acid, Mn, Cr and total phenolics is provided by the consumption of prickly pears, particularly from fruits of O. dillenii. Applying factor and/or discriminant analysis, the prickly pear samples were differentiated according to the species, altitude and region of cultivation in the island.     

Coupling of pressure-driven membrane technologies for concentrating,purifying and fractionizing betacyanins in cactus pear (Opuntia dillenii Haw.) juice

An integrated process coupling crossflow micro and ultra or nanofiltration was applied to separate the betacyanins in cactus pear juice (30 °C). Four microfiltration ceramic membranes (0.1–0.2 μm, 1.8–3.3 bar) and 4 ultra/nanofiltration organic membranes (0.2–4.0 kDa, 5–30 bar) were tested. Microfiltration was a first step to remove insoluble solids with low retention of soluble solids. By coupling with enzymatic liquefaction, permeate flux Jp was increased by 2 and the retention of betacyanins was limited. Ultra/nanofiltration was then used for solute separation. Retentions of solutes could be modulated by varying membrane/pressure combinations that favor rather the concentration of all the solutes or rather the purification of the betacyanins with respect to the total dry matter. Retention of individual betacyanins could be a little different which also made possible fractionation. Simulations using simple models allowed to evaluate the interest of the process for concentrating, purifying and fractionating betacyanins with a possible diafiltration step.Industrial relevanceBetacyanins are natural colorants that can be obtained from cactus pear juice, a crop of increasing interest for its agricultural potential in Sahelian regions. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new integrated process based on membrane separation allowing to concentrate or separate betacyanins from other solutes at low temperature and with a limited environmental impact. This process associates a first step to clarify the cactus pear juice by microfiltration after enzymatic liquefaction and a second step to concentrate or purify betacyanins by ultra or nanofiltration. By choosing different membrane/transmembrane pressure combinations in the 2nd step, solute retentions could be modulated in order to favor rather the concentration of all solutes or rather the separation of betacyanins from total soluble solids or even rather the fractionation of betacyanins themselves.