AGROBIODIVERSITY OF CACTUS PEAR (OPUNTIA, CACTACEAE) IN THE MERIDIONAL HIGHLANDS PLATEAU OF MEXICO

Interaction of Diffuse Competition and Insect Herbivory in Limiting Brittle Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia fragilis (Cactaceae)

The origins of an important cactus crop, Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae): new molecular evidence.

Opuntia ficus-indica is a long-domesticated cactus crop that is important in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world. The biogeographic and evolutionary origins of this species have been obscured through ancient and widespread cultivation and naturalization. The origin of O. ficus-indica is investigated through the use of Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of nrITS DN...

Ecology of Eastern prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) in Oak Openings Preserve, northwestern Ohio

Scott R. Abella* and John F. Jaeger Metroparks of the Toledo Area 5100 W. Central Ave. Toledo, OH 43615 ECOLOGY OF EASTERN PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS (OPUNTIA HUMIFUSA) IN OAK OPENINGS PRESERVE, NORTHWESTERN omo 2004 Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf. (eastern prickly pear cactus) has a patchy but wide distribution in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, ranging from Massachusetts through Wisc...

Effects of ultrasound treatment in purple cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) juice.

Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit is a berry with a tasty pulp full of seeds that constitutes about 10-15% of the edible pulp. In Mexico, cactus pear is mainly consumed fresh, but also has the potential to be processed in other products such as juice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different ultrasound conditions at amplitude levels ranging (40% and 60% for 10,...

Diversity of unavailable polysaccharides and dietary fiber in domesticated nopalito and cactus pear fruit (Opuntia spp.).

The aim of this study was to quantify mucilages, pectins, hemicelluloses, and cellulose of nopalitos (edible, as vegetable, young cladodes of flat-stemmed spiny cacti) of most consumed Mexican cultivars, and sweet and acid cactus pear fruits of Opuntia spp. The hypothesis is that, regardless of their unavailable polysaccharides diversity, nopalitos and cactus pear fruits are rich sources of sol...