Characterization and quantification of individual betalain and phenolic compounds in Mexican and Spanish prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill) tissues: a comparative study

Publication date: Available online 16 November 2018Source: Journal of Food Composition and AnalysisAuthor(s): Tomás García-Cayuela, Andrea Gómez-Maqueo, Daniel Guajardo-Flores, Jorge Welti-Chanes, M. Pilar CanoAbstractBetalain and phenolic profiles of whole fruit, pulp and peel of 6 Mexican and Spanish prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) cultivars were characterized and quantified using a single extraction and HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF protocol. A total of 14 betalains were detected, where betanin and indicaxanthin were the most abundant. The purple cultivars Spanish Morada and Mexican Pelota showed the highest concentration of betacyanins (1,372-2,176 µg/g dry whole fruit), whereas the greatest betaxanthin values were obtained in red Spanish Sanguinos and yellow Mexican Diamante cultivars (435-488 µg/g dry whole fruit). The detected 17 phenolics corresponded mostly to flavonoid (isorhamnetin, quercetin and kaempferol) glycosides and a phenolic acid, piscidic acid. The highest phenolic content was found in Spanish Morada cultivar (49,012 µg/g dry peel). The proposed HPLC methodology is a useful tool for the simultaneous and accurate analyses of betalains and phenolic compounds in O. ficus-indica fruit tissues.
Source: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis - Category: Food Science Source Type: research