Opuntia Spp.: Chemistry, Bioactivity and Industrial Applications

ISBN-13: 9783030784461 / Angielski / Miękka / 2022

Ramadan, Mohamed Fawzy

Opis

The Opuntia fruits, commonly known as cactus pears or prickly pears, have been suggested by the Food and Agriculture Organization to be a promising and strategic crop in regions suffering from lack of water. In Mexico, India, South Africa, and the Mediterranean, the Opuntia fruits have become popular due to their nutritive value and health-promoting benefits, including antioxidant, antiulcerogenic and antiatherogenic traits and protective effects against LDL oxidation. Additionally, readily absorbable sugars, high vitamin C and mineral content, and a pleasant flavour make Opuntia tailor-made for novel foods. Due to their ecological advantages, high functional value, and health-related traits, Opuntia fruits can be highly exploited in different food processing applications. For instance, Opuntia cactus fruits are used for the preparation of juices and marmalades; Opuntia cactus plants are used to feed animals in African and Latin American countries; Peruvian farmers cultivate Opuntia cactus for growing the cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) insect and producing the natural dye carmine; and the commercial production of food and non-food products from Opuntia has been established in Mexico, USA and several Mediterranean countries. Opuntia spp.: Chemistry, Bioactivity and Industrial Applications creates a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on Opuntia cactus with special emphasis on its horticulture, post-harvest, marketability, chemistry, functionality, health-promoting properties, technology and processing.  The text includes detailed discussion of the impact of traditional and innovative processing on the recovery of high-added value compounds from Opuntia spp. by-products. Later chapters explore the potential applications of Opuntia spp. in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. 

Spis treści

1-Introduction to Opuntia spp.: Chemistry, bioactivity and Industrial Applications

2-South African perspective on Opuntia spp.: cultivation, human and livestock food and industrial applications

3-Ethnobotany, medicinal utilization and Systematics of Opuntia species from Deserts of Pakistan

4-Cactus Pear (Opuntia spp.) Species and Cultivars

5-Classification, Distribution and Morphological Characterization of Opuntia species

6-Cultivation and Cultural Practices of Opuntia spp

7-Molecular characterization of Opuntia spp.

8-Genetic diversity and ecotypes of Opuntia spp.

9-Potential attribute of crassulacean acid metabolism of Opuntia spp. production in water-limited conditions

10-Harvest and Postharvest Technology of Opuntia spp

11-Chemistry and functionality of Opuntia spp. nopal cladodes

12-Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Bioactive Ingredients and Phyto-constituents

13-Opuntia Fiber and its Health-Related Beneficial Properties

14-Opuntia spp. chemical constituents and bioactive compounds, with particular regards to polyphenols

15-Profile and Biological Properties of the main Phenolic compounds in cactus pear (Opuntia spp.)

16-Opuntia spp. essential oils

17-Antioxidant activity of Opuntia spp.: A review

18-Natural antimicrobial molecules from Opuntia spp. and their role in poultry nutrition

19-Genus Opuntia: A golden source of compounds with anti-inflammatory potential

20-Opuntia spp. benefits in chronic diseases

21-Traceability of Opuntia spp.

22-Antidiabetic Activity of Opuntia spp.

23-Anticancer Activity of Opuntia spp.

24-Innovative technologies for the identification of chemical and bioactive compounds in Opuntia spp. plant, food and waste

25-Innovation technologies for extracting Opuntia spp. seed oil

26-Novel pectins from prickly pear (Opuntia albicarpa) fruits: structural features and rheological properties

27-Modern Technologies in Opuntia spp. Juice Processing

28-Novel Technologies in Juice Processing from Opuntia spp. Fruits

29-Potential use of prickly pear juice prepared from shelf-grown cultivars as an authentic and nutritional fruit supplement

30-Fermented Beverages from Opuntia species: Composition, Commercialization and Future Outlook

31-Opuntia spp. Marmalade

32-Opuntia pear peel as a source of functional ingredients and their utilization in meat products

33-Opuntia spp. Seed Oil

34-Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) processing by extrusion-cooking

35-Opuntia spp. and Extruded Food Products

36-Opuntia spp. Extruded Food Products

37-Industrial uses of Opuntia spp. by-products

38-Bread Enrichment with Opuntia spp. Derivatives

39-Opuntia spp. products and by-products as a potential source of edible films and coatings

40-Microencapsulation technology: an alternative preservation method for Opuntia spp. derived products and their bioactive compounds

41-Prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) in animal and poultry feed

42-Industrial applications of Opuntia spp. (nopal, fruit and peel)

43-Opuntia spp. as a source of sugars for the ethanol production

44-Opuntia spp. in biogas production

45-Opuntia spp. in dye-sensitized solar cells

46-Incorporation of Opuntia spp. into Food Systems

47-Opuntia spp. in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals

48-Food and non-food applications of Opuntia spp. seed oil

49-Opuntia spp. in the textile industry

50-Cactus pear as colorants and coloring foods: application in different food matrices

O autorze

Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan is a Professor in the Agricultural Biochemistry Department at Zagazig University in Zagazig, Egypt. He has published more than 250 research papers and reviews in international peer-reviewed journals, as well as several books and book chapters. 

Tamer E. Moussa Ayoub is a Lecturer in the Department of Food Technology at Suez Canal University in Ismailia, Egypt.

Sascha Rohn is a Professor in Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry in Technische Universität Berlin in Berlin, Germany.

Blurb

The Opuntia fruits, commonly known as cactus pears or prickly pears, have been suggested by the Food and Agriculture Organization to be a promising and strategic crop in regions suffering from lack of water. In Mexico, India, South Africa, and the Mediterranean, the Opuntia fruits have become popular due to their nutritive value and health-promoting benefits, including antioxidant, antiulcerogenic and antiatherogenic traits and protective effects against LDL oxidation. Additionally, readily absorbable sugars, high vitamin C and mineral content, and a pleasant flavour make Opuntia tailor-made for novel food.

 

Due to their ecological advantages, high functional value, and health-related traits, Opuntia fruits can be highly exploited in different food processing applications. For instance, Opuntia cactus fruits are used for the preparation of juices and marmalades; Opuntia cactus plants are used to feed animals in African and Latin American countries; Peruvian farmers cultivate Opuntia cactus for growing the cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) insect and producing the natural dye carmine; and the commercial production of food and non-food products from Opuntia has been established in Mexico, USA and several Mediterranean countries.

 

Opuntia spp.: Chemistry, Bioactivity and Industrial Applications creates a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on Opuntia cactus with special emphasis on its horticulture, post-harvest, marketability, chemistry, functionality, health-promoting properties, technology and processing.  The text includes detailed discussion of the impact of traditional and innovative processing on the recovery of high-added value compounds from Opuntia spp. by-products. Later chapters explore the potential applications of Opuntia spp. in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.