Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Opuntia”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1971

Natural Hybridization between the Cholla Cactus Species Opuntia spinosior and Opuntia versicolor.

The sexually reproducing cholla cactus species, Opuntia spinosior and O. versicolor, hybridize naturally in Arizona to produce hybrid swarms and segregating introgressive populations with a high degree of individual variation. The pattern of variation in these hybrid populations can be compared with that in populations derived from crossing of O. spinosior and O. fulgida, where the hybrids reproduce vegetatively rather than by seeds. The latter hybrid combination, in marked contrast to the former, results in clonal colonies with little or no observable individual variation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

Composition, digestibility and feed intake of Opuntia ficus indica by Ogaden sheep.

First of all spineless Opuntia is an important source of water for livestock in tropical regions. The water content of one-year sprouts amounted to 92.5%. 70 to 75% of dry matter of Opuntia ficus indica were crude carbohydrates, approximately 20% were crude ash. The apparent digestibility of organic matter was considerably high (70.9%), the energy content amounts to 35 and 467 EFUc per kg of fresh and dry matter respectively. Opuntias are roughage, their energy content is similar to that of grass or legumes during flowering. The protein content is too low (4.5 to 5.5% crude protein of dry matter) in order to meet the protein requirements of animals. When they had the choice rams preferred chopped fresh Opuntia (61.6% of the whole DM intake) to chopped dried Opuntia (34.7%) and whole fresh Opuntia (3.7%) apart from a certain basal diet (200 g of meadow hay and 200 g of concentrate per animal and day). If only one of the three differently treated forms of Opuntia was fed (apart from the basal diet) the sheep consumed daily 359 g of dry matter of chopped fresh Opuntia (approximately the same amount as if they had the choice, 101%), 313 g of dry matter of chopped dried Opuntia (88%) and 121 g of dry matter of whole fresh sprouts of Opuntia (34% of the total intake when they had the choice.) According to the obtained results spineless Opuntia ficus indica can be used in chopped form as an additional feed to other roughages (like grass, hay, straw) especially during the dry season.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2005

[Regulative effect of Opuntia powder on blood lipids in rats and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the regulative effect of opuntia powder on blood lipids in wistar rats and to explore its mechanism. METHOD: Forty normal rats were divided into four groups:control group (fed with basal feed), opuntia high, middle and low dosage groups (fed with basal feed and opuntia powder of high, middle and low dosage. The influence of opuntia powder on serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), arteriosclerosis index (AI), serum malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) were observed. (2) All of the hyperlipemia wistar rats for experiments were divided into four groups: model control group and other three groups (high, middle, low dosage groups respectively). Three weeks later, samples of blood were taken for survey of levels of TC, TG HDL-C, LDL-C, AI, MDA, SOD. RESULT: After opuntia powder treatment,the level of TC in nomal wistar rats was decreased. However, there was no significant difference comparing with control group (P > 0.05). The serum MAD level in the low, middle and high dosage groups were all obviously decreased, which were significantly lower than that in the control group. The SOD activities were all higher than that in the control group. The level of TC, LDL-C, AI (P < 0.01), TG (P < 0.05) were lower significantly in hyperlipemia wistar rats after treated by opuntia powder of high, middle and low dosage. The down-regulation of blood lipids was related with the dosage of opuntia powder. CONCLUSION: The opuntia powder may regulate the level of blood lipids in normal and hyperlipemia wistar rats. The effect is more obviously in hyperlipemia rats than that in normal rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

A purified extract from prickly pear cactus (Opuntia fuliginosa) controls experimentally induced diabetes in rats.

The hypoglycemic activity of a purified extract from prickly pear cactus (Opuntia fuliginosa) was evaluated on STZ-induced diabetic rats. Blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels were reduced to normal values by a combined treatment of insulin and Opuntia extract. When insulin was withdrawn from the combined treatment, the prickly pear extract alone maintained normoglycemic state in the diabetic rats. The blood glucose response to administered glucose also showed that the rats receiving the combination treatment of insulin and Opuntia extract for 7 weeks followed by Opuntia extract alone were capable of rapidly returning blood glucose to the levels of the nondiabetic rats. Although the mechanism of action is unknown, the magnitude of the glucose control by the small amount of Opuntia extract required (1 mg/kg body weight per day) preclude a predominant role for dietary fiber. These very encouraging results for diabetes control by the purified extract of this Opuntia cactus make the need for clinical studies in humans evident.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Expression of ripening-related genes in prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) fruits.

To throw light on the expression of ripening-related genes in prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) fruits and on the possible role of the gaseous hormone ethylene in nonclimacteric fruit ripening, cDNA fragments that showed high homologies with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and ACC oxidase cDNAs from other plants were cloned and partially characterized. Thus, the corresponding genes were accordingly named opaccs-1 and opacco-1, after Opuntia ACC synthase-1 and Opuntia ACC oxidase-1, respectively. Southern analysis suggests the presence of at least one copy of both genes, as well as other related homologous sequences in the Opuntia genome. Northern analysis of the opaccs-1 gene shows an enhanced expression in ripening fruit tissues, whereas opacco-1 expression is highly induced in ripe tissues with respect to the green fruits and mature cladodes. These results are in agreement with an active metabolic role of ethylene during nonclimacteric prickly pear fruit ripening. This is the first report on the analysis at the molecular level of ripening-related genes of the Opuntia genus.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed2005

Opuntia ficus-indica attenuates neuronal injury in in vitro and in vivo models of cerebral ischemia.

We examined whether the methanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica (MEOF) has a neuroprotective action against N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-, kainate (KA)-, and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced neuronal injury in cultured mouse cortical cells. We also evaluated the protective effect of MEOF in the hippocampal CA1 region against neuronal damage evoked by global ischemia in gerbils. Treatment of neuronal cultures with MEOF (30, 300, and 1000 microg/ml) inhibited NMDA (25 microM)-, KA (30 microM)-, and OGD (50 min)-induced neurotoxicity dose-dependently. The butanol fraction of Opuntia ficus-indica (300 microg/ml) significantly reduced NMDA (20 microM)-induced delayed neurotoxicity by 27%. Gerbils were treated with MEOF every 24h for 3 days (0.1, 1.0, and 4.0 g/kg, p.o.) or for 4 weeks (0.1 and 1.0 g/kg, p.o.), and ischemic injury was induced after the last dose. Neuronal cell damage in the hippocampal CA1 region was evaluated quantitatively at 5 days after the ischemic injury. When gerbils were given doses of 4.0 g/kg (3 days) and 1.0 g/kg (4 weeks), the neuronal damage in the hippocampal region was reduced by 32 and 36%, respectively. These results suggest that the preventive administration of Opuntia ficus-indica extracts may be helpful in alleviating the excitotoxic neuronal damage induced by global ischemia.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Effect of hyaluronic acid and polysaccharides from Opuntia ficus indica (L.) cladodes on the metabolism of human chondrocyte cultures.

Conventional medications in articular disease are often effective for symptom relief, but they can also cause significant side effects and do not slow the progression of the disease. Several natural substances have been shown to be effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), and preliminary evidence suggests that some of these compounds may exert a favourable influence on the course of the disease. In this study, we assay the anti-inflammatory/chondroprotective effect of some lyophilised extracts obtained from Opuntia ficus indica (L.) cladodes and of hyaluronic acid (HA) on the production of key molecules released during chronic inflammatory events such as nitric oxide (NO), glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), prostaglandins (PGE(2)) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human chondrocyte culture, stimulated with proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Further the antioxidant effect of these extracts was evaluated in vitro employing the bleaching of the stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH test). All the extracts tested in this study showed an interesting profile in active compounds. Particularly some of these extracts were characterized by polyphenolic and polysaccharidic species. In vitro results pointed out that the extracts of Opuntia ficus indica cladodes were able to contrast the harmful effects of IL-1 beta. Our data showed the protective effect of the extracts of Opuntia ficus indica cladodes in cartilage alteration, which appears greater than that elicited by hyaluronic acid (HA) commonly employed as visco-supplementation in the treatment of joint diseases.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMed2003

Color properties and stability of betacyanins from Opuntia fruits.

The colorant properties of pigments from Opuntia stricta, Opuntia undulata, and Opuntia ficus-indicafruits were studied. The pigments were extracted with different solvents and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography. On the basis of their visible light spectra, the pigments were identified as betalains. In O. undulata and O. ficus-indica fruits, both betacyanins and betaxantins were identified, while in O. stricta fruits only betacyanins (betanin and isobetanin) were detected. O. stricta fruits showed the highest betacyanin content (80 mg/100 g fresh fruit). The thermal stability of the pigment extracts was dependent on the pH, with the maximum stability being at pH 5, as expected for betacyanins. At this value and a storage temperature of 4 degrees C, a deactivation half-life time of more than 1 year, with no added stabilizers, was determined. According to these studies, cactus pears from O. stricta may well be considered as a potential source of natural red colorants.

Betalains↗
PubMed2004

Young daughter cladodes affect CO2 uptake by mother cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Drought damages cultivated C3, C4 and CAM plants in the semi-arid lands of central Mexico. Drought damage to Opuntia is common when mother cladodes, planted during the dry spring season, develop young daughter cladodes that behave like C3 plants, with daytime stomatal opening and water loss. In contrast, wild Opuntia are less affected because daughter cladodes do not develop on them under extreme drought conditions. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the effects of the number of daughter cladodes on gas exchange parameters of mother cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica exposed to varying soil water contents. METHODS: Rates of net CO2 uptake, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, chlorophyll content and relative water content were measured in mature mother cladodes with a variable number of daughter cladodes growing in spring under dry and wet conditions. KEY RESULTS: Daily carbon gain by mother cladodes was reduced as the number of daughter cladodes increased to eight, especially during drought. This was accompanied by decreased mother cladode relative water content, suggesting movement of water from mother to daughter cladodes. CO2 assimilation was most affected in phase IV of CAM (late afternoon net CO2 uptake) by the combined effects of daughter cladodes and drought. Rainfall raised the soil water content, decreasing the effects of daughter cladodes on net CO2 uptake by mother cladodes. CONCLUSIONS: Daughter cladodes significantly hasten the effects of drought on mother cladodes by competition for the water supply and thus decrease daily carbon gain by mother cladodes, mainly by inhibiting phase IV of CAM.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed2006

Nutritional and medicinal use of Cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) cladodes and fruits.

Natural products and health foods have recently received a lot of attention both by health professionals and the common population for improving overall well-being, as well as in the prevention of diseases including cancer. In this line, all types of fruits and vegetables have been re-evaluated and recognized as valuable sources of nutraceuticals. The great number of potentially active nutrients and their multifunctional properties make cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) fruits and cladodes perfect candidates for the production of health-promoting food and food supplements. Although traditionally appreciated for its pharmacological properties by the Native Americans, cactus pear is still hardly recognized because of insufficient scientific information. However, recent studies on Opuntia spp. have demonstrated cactus pear fruit and vegetative cladodes to be excellent candidates for the development of healthy food. Therefore, this review summarizes current knowledge on the chemical composition of Opuntia cacti with particular emphasis in its use as food and medicine.

Fruit↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The validity of health claims on the World Wide Web: a systematic survey of the herbal remedy Opuntia.

PURPOSE: The World Wide Web has become a significant source of health information for the public, but there is concern that much of the information is inaccurate, misleading, and unsupported by scientific evidence. To explore this issue, the validity of health claims for the herb Opuntia on the World Wide Web was analyzed. DATA SOURCES: From December 1998 to May 1999, health claims were identified from Web sites utilizing nine search engines. A corresponding search was conducted of the scientific literature. Search terms included common and botanical names for Opuntia. INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Nutritional support guidelines for herbs were used to identify claims from relevant sites. Scientific studies included established methodological designs with no restrictions on source, language, type of subjects, or dosage forms for Opuntia. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS: A checklist of significant information was prepared for Web sites and scientific studies. The quality of scientific studies was assessed with two instruments, the Jadad and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) scales. DATA SYNTHESIS: Validity of health claims on Web sites was compared with scientific reports. Searches retrieved 184 Web sites, 98 with health claims and 51 with research studies. Only 34% of the claims were addressed in the scientific literature, and evidence was conflicting or contradictory. For human studies, none met the criteria for high quality as determined by the Jadad and JAMA scales. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: The majority of health claims were based on folklore or indirect scientific evidence and could not be validated by scientific research. This suggests a need to check the validity of herbal information on the World Wide Web.

Drug Information Services↗
PubMed1992

Clavispora opuntiae and other yeasts associated with the moth Sigelgaita sp. in the cactus Pilosocereus arrabidae of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Clavispora opuntiae was the prevalent yeast associated with the feeding sites of Sigelgaita sp. larvae in the cactus Pilosocereus arrabidae. Also associated with this habitat were Candida sonorensis, Pichia cactophila, Pichia barkeri, Candida sp. A, Geotrichum sp., Geotrichum sericeum and the yeast like organisms Prototheca zopfii and Acremonium sp. Atypical yeast biotypes that may represent new species of Pichia, Sporopachydermia and Candida were isolated. Mating types of Clavispora opuntiae were at a ratio 70 h- to 3 h- and reduced levels of sporulation suggested low pressure for sexual reproduction in this habitat. Sigelgaita sp. probably was not an important vector for Clavispora opuntiae because it was not isolated from an adult or eggs of this moth.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Removal of chromium and toxic ions present in mine drainage by Ectodermis of Opuntia.

This work presents conditions for hexavalent and trivalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions using natural, protonated and thermally treated Ectodermis of Opuntia. A removal of 77% of Cr(VI) and 99% of Cr(III) can be achieved. The sorbent material is characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, before and after the contact with the chromium containing aqueous media. The results obtained from the characterization techniques indicate that the metal ion remains on the surface of the sorbent material. The percentage removal is found to depend on the initial chromium concentration and pH. The Cr(VI) and Cr(III) uptake process is maximum at pH 4, using 0.1g of sorbent per liter of aqueous solution. The natural Ectodermis of Opuntia showed a chromium adsorption capacity that was adequately described by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Finally, an actual mine drainage sample that contained Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe Zn, Ni and Pb was tested under optimal conditions for chromium removal and Ectodermis of Opuntia was found to be a suitable sorbent material. The use of this waste material for the treatment of metal-containing aqueous solutions as well as mine drainage is effective and economical.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1999

Preliminary studies of analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of Opuntia dillenii aqueous extract.

Opuntia dillenii (Ker-Gawl) Haw is a cactus that belongs to the family Opuntiae. Lyophilized aqueous extract of the fruits of the plant, used in Canarian traditional medicine for gastrointestinal and bronchial troubles, was evaluated for analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties in rats and mice. The Opuntia dillenii extract (100-400 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited, in a dose-related manner, carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. A dose-dependent action was obtained against chemical (writhing test) and thermic (hot plate test) stimuli, respectively, with doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg.

Acetic Acid↗
PubMed2003

Hanseniaspora meyeri sp. nov., Hanseniaspora clermontiae sp. nov., Hanseniaspora lachancei sp. nov. and Hanseniaspora opuntiae sp. nov., novel apiculate yeast species.

Fourteen apiculate yeast strains isolated from various sources in South Africa, North America and the Hawaiian islands were found to be genetically divergent from other Hanseniaspora-Kloeckera species by using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR. After cluster analysis of the RAPD-PCR fingerprints, five groups were recognized. DNA reassociation values among representatives of these groups and strains of Hanseniaspora-Kloeckera species revealed that the strains represent five novel species. Four are described here as novel species of HANSENIASPORA: Hanseniaspora meyeri sp. nov. (type CBS 8734(T)), Hanseniaspora clermontiae sp. nov. (type CBS 8821(T)), Hanseniaspora lachancei sp. nov. (type CBS 8818(T)) and Hanseniaspora opuntiae sp. nov. (type CBS 8733(T)). The fifth novel species, which is represented by only a single strain, CBS 8772, is not introduced as a new taxon. Phylogenetic analyses of the D1/D2 region of the 26S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions with 5.8S rDNA sequences placed H. meyeri, H. clermontiae, H. lachancei, H. opuntiae and strain CBS 8772 close to Hanseniaspora uvarum and Hanseniaspora guilliermondii. The key characteristics for standard physiological identification of H. clermontiae and H. lachancei were respectively maximal growth temperature and assimilation of 2-keto-D-gluconate. However, physiological characteristics did not allow the distinction of H. opuntiae and strain CBS 8772 from H. guilliermondii or H. meyeri from H. uvarum. These three novel taxa can be identified by either ITS sequencing or PCR-RFLP of ITS regions using restriction enzymes MboII and HinfI.

Base Composition↗
PubMed2000

Ribosomal DNA, species structure, and biogeography of the cactophilic yeast Clavispora opuntiae.

The ribosomal DNA of the cactophilic yeast species Clavispora opuntiae was studied in order to clarify the global distribution of the yeast. Over 500 strains, including isolates from several new localities worldwide, were characterized by rDNA restriction mapping. An unusual restriction pattern previously encountered only in one strain, from Conception Island in the Bahamas, was found in several Brazilian isolates. Sequences of the D1/D2 and D7/D8 divergent domains of the large subunit (LSU) and of the intergenic spacers (IGS) confirmed that these strains represent a genetically distinct variety of Clavispora opuntiae. This divergence had previously been hypothesized on the basis of reduced genetic recombination in inter-varietal crosses and the presence of a polymorphic ApaI restriction site located in the LSU. The exact position of the ApaI site in the D8 divergent domain and the nature of the variation that it reveals were determined. The complete sequences of 12 intergenic spacers clarified the significance of the species-wide variation uncovered by restriction mapping. Most of the polymorphic sites occur in the IGS1 and IGS2 regions, on either side of the 5S gene, and the variation is largely due to differences in the numbers and the sequences of internal repeats. Two other polymorphic sites are located in the external transcribed spacer (ETS) region. The reliability of various sites as indicators of overall spacer sequence divergence differed from one case to another. Variety-specific probes were devised and used to screen 120 strains for the presence of recombinant rDNA spacers. Three strains gave ambiguous results, but these did not constitute evidence that inter-varietal recombination has taken place in nature. The hypothesis that the global movement of Clavispora opuntiae has been influenced by the worldwide biological control of prickly pear with Cactoblastis cactorum, a moth of Argentinian origin, has received additional support from the demonstration that Argentinian strains have rDNAs similar to those found where the moth has been introduced. A dramatic founder effect was identified in a yeast population collected in cacti (Maui, Hawaii) in a site where the moth had been recently introduced.

DNA, Fungal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Activity of Opuntia streptacantha in healthy individuals with induced hyperglycemia].

Hypoglycemia effect Opuntia streptacantha which occur in diabetic has not been found in healthy subjects. To find out if this effect appears also in healthy individuals if they are hyperglycemic, two tests were performed to 7 healthy volunteers. In both tests 500 ml of 20% dextrose were infused in two hours, 500 g of O. streptacantha were given orally before one test, and 400 ml of water as control were given before the other one. Serum glucose was measured every 30 minutes during three hours. Glucose rising was significantly (P less than 0.025) lower with Opuntia than in control test at 90 and 120 minutes (143 +/- 58 vs 193 +/- 9 and 135 +/- 25 vs 163 +/- 13 mg/dl respectively). Area under curve of glucose was also smaller in Opuntia than in control test (P less than 0.05). Hypoglycemic effect of O. streptacantha also occur in healthy subjects in hyperglycemia is present.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Duration of the hypoglycemic action of Opuntia streptacantha Lem].

To assess the duration of Opuntia streptacantha Lem. hypoglycemic effect, two tests in fasting conditions, one with the intake of 500 g of broiled Opuntia stems and the other one with 400 ml of water as control, were performed in eight type II diabetics. Serum glucose levels were measured hourly during six hours. In the Opuntia test the decrease of serum glucose levels was more pronounced at the fourth hour (P less than 0.01 vs control test), serum glucose levels remained unchanged the following two hours. No significant changes on glycemia occurred in the control test. Difference between both tests was significant from the second to the sixth hour.

Administration, Oral↗