Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.) as an Invasive Species and a Potential Fodder Resource for Ruminant Animals

Prickly pear

Colorant Extraction from Red Prickly Pear (opuntia Lasiacantha) for Food Application

The research on alternative natural colorants is of growing interest as substitutes for synthetic dyes in food. Opuntia lasiacantha Pfeiffer (red prickly pear) pigment was extracted from fruits of three different localities. The extracted pigment was identified as betanin by HPLC analysis comparing to the commercial beet red colorant E-162/1600. Color parameters and betanin content were also de...

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

Chemical Composition and Functional Properties of Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus indica) Seeds Flour and Protein Concentrate

Proximate composition and functional properties of prickly pear seed flour (PPS); protein concentrate and the effect of pH on these properties were investigated. The protein content, crude fat and crude fiberof PPS flour and protein concentrate averaged 13.62 and 62.41, 10.43 and 3.57 and 9.23 and 5.31%, respectively. The minimum protein solubility was observed at pH 4.5, as 16. and 15% while m...

Associations between Floral Asymmetry and Individual Genetic Variability Differ among Three Prickly Pear (Opuntia echios) Populations

While stress is expected to increase developmental instability (DI), not all studies confirm this. This heterogeneity could in part be due to the use of subtle differences between the left and right side of bilateral symmetrical organisms to quantify DI, leading to large sampling error obscuring associations with DI. Traits that develop simultaneously more than twice (such as flower petals or b...