• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.691-697
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of using Opuntia ficus-indica as a natural health food source. To accomplish this, the contents of general and antioxidative nutrient contents of Opuntia ficus-indica were measured. The carbohydrate, crude protein, crude fat and crude ash were 66.79%, 5.51%, 9.89% and 9.29%, respectively. The calorie contents of Opuntia ficusindica was 378.21 kcal. The content of total dietary fiber was 36.54%. The essential and non-essential amino acids contents were 1,635.14 mg and 3,012.68 mg, respectively. Potassium was the most abundant mineral followed by Ca, Mg, and Na, showing that Opuntia ficus-indica is an alkali material. The electron-donating activity (EDA) of Opuntia ficus-indica was 29.85~44.57%, and the activity was dependent on the sample concentration. Total phenolic content of Opuntia ficus-indica was 2.21 ${\mu}g$/mg, and total flavonoids content was estimated as 1.80 ${\mu}g$/mg. Opuntia ficus-indica extract showed the highest reducing power (OD 700=3.18) at a concentration of 6.25 mg/mL. Based on the above results, we determined that the Opuntia ficus-indica has potential antioxidant activities.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.163-174
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• 2009

Reactive oxygen species(ROS) can induce hepatotoxicity and trigger apoptosis in the liver. In this study, we investigated the sulfated polysaccharide A-1 from Opuntia ficus-indica against alcoholic oxidative stress in human liver Hep G2 cell. An antioxidant substance A-1 obtained from the enzymatic extract of Opuntia ficus-indica fruit was purified by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange and sephadex G-100 gel permeation chromatography. The purification yield and molecular weight were 14.3% and 1.8 KDa, respectively. The A-1 predominately contained arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and also sulfate group. The structure of A-1 was investigated by periodate oxidation, FT-IR spectroscopy, $^1H$-NMR spectroscopy. The A-1 mainly composed of alternating unit of ${\rightarrow}4$)-$\alpha$-L- Rapp-2-$SO_3^-$-$\alpha$-L-Galp-($1{\rightarrow}$ and branched linkage of $\beta$-D-Arbp- ($5{\rightarrow}$. The antioxidative activity was measured using the SOD, CAT activity and GSH assay, respectively. The expression of Nrf2 protein was analyzed by western blotting. The viable cell count analyzed by autofluorescence. Oxidative stress induced by ethanol(1 M) were dramatically reduced by A-1 treatment. A-1 also prevented cell death induced by oxidative stress. It also increased expression Nrf2 protein level. We concluded that sulfated polysaccharide A-1 from Opuntia ficus-indica effectively protect Hep G2 liver cell from alcoholic oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.847-853
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• 1997

Attempts were made to determine the compositions of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten for the utilization as food materials. The major components of Opuntia ficus-indica and aloe in proximate compositions were nitrogen free extract. Total mineral contents of stem, fruit and seed of Opuntia ficus-indica were 9400.8, 6151.2 and 1096.8 mg%, respectively, and their major minerals were Ca, P and Mg. The major free amino acids of fruit were tyrosine, proline and arginine, those of stem were glycine and arginine and that of seed was glutamic acid. The major amino acid of fruit was glutamic acid, those of stem were glycine and arginine and those of seed were glutmic acid and arginine. Vitamin C contents of fruit and stem were 163.8 and 71.2 mg% but not presented in seed. Vitamin A was also not presented in fruit, stem and seed. Contents of total polyphenols and flavonoids were changed by extraction solvent and temperature. Total polyphenols of fruit were higher than those of stem and seed. Total flavonoids of fruit were similar to those of stem.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.33 no.3 s.130
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• pp.230-237
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• 2002

Prickly pear(Opuntia ficus-indica var saboten Makino, Cactaceae) is widely used as folk medicine for burned wound, edema and indigestion. To confirm the hypolipidemic action of the extract from Cactus stem and fruit in dietary hyperlipidemic rats, variations of the lipid- or cholesterol-related components were investigated. As results these changes were significantly prevented by treatments with Cactus extracts. The effects of the extract of fruit was better than those of stem.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.2 s.69
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• pp.279-286
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• 2005

The Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino (Cactus) is a tropical or subtropical plant, which is cultivated or grows naturally in Jeju island. It has been widely used as folk medicine for burned wound, edema and indigestion. In addition, its extract has been claimed to have several biological activities including anti-inflammation in oriental medicine. In this study, we examined the antimicrobial activities of the methanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino. The extract showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, including antibiotics resistant bacteria (MRSA, R-P. aeruginosa, VRE) and Propionibacterium acnes, yeast, and fungi. The extract retained the activity after heat treatment for 15 min at $100^{\circ}C$ and $121^{\circ}C$ and after extended storage, up to 10 weeks storage period at $4^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$, also stably retained its activity. It showed a better inhibitoring effect to the growth of E. coli than sodium benzoate did it at the same concentration. Addition of various salts or metal ions did not affect on its antimicrobial activity. Therefore, the antimicrobial characteristics of the extract can be applicable as a natural preservative and an antimicrobial agent for bacterial disease.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1998

The Opuntia ficus-indica extract(OFE) has been claimed to have several therapeutic properties including anti-inflammation and anti-rheumatoid arthritis in oriental medicine but little is known about their effect on macrophages. This study demonstrated that OFE could stimulate TNF-alpha production in cultured macrophages. which is one of important mediators in autoimmune diseases including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis(EAE). In vivo study showed that oral administration of OFE exacerbate the onset of clinical paralysis. This finding suggests that OFE stimulates cytokine production and exacerbates autoimmune inflammatory diseases including EAE.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.519-525
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• 2013

The Opuntia extract has been traditionally used to treat diabetes, inflammation, and rheumatoid arthritis in oriental medicine. The purpose of this study is to investigate characteristics of biological activity between Opuntia humifusa and Opuntia ficus-indica which is cultivating in korea using cell-free system or cell-based assay. O. humifusa extract effectively inhibited ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity or improved the immune function, and its biological activity was more effective than O. ficus-indica extract. The scavenging activity of DPPH radical and the inhibitory effect of tyrosinase similarly showed by O. humifusa and O. ficus-indica extract, however neuroprotective effect only showed a tendency to increase compared with control in PC12 cells. Therefore the results suggest that O. humifusa can be a useful agent for treatment of diabetes and immunodeficiency.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.362-364
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• 2000

Opuntia ficus-indca(Op) extract has been claimed to have several therapeutic properties in oriental medicine including anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects. Little is known of its effect on the activation of immune cells such as T cells and macrophages. To evaluate the functional effect of Op extract on immune cells, we examined whether Op extract stimulates the proliferation of T cells and the secretion of cytokines including IL-1 beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in THP-1 cell lines by RT-PCR. Op extract significantly enhanced the proliferation of T cell clone(D10S). Transcription of cytokines including IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha peaked 6 hrs after exposure to Op extract(100g/ml) in the THP-1 cell line and declined and declined thereafter. In an experiment to test the dose dependency of transcription of cytokines, transcription increased at a dose of 10 g/ml and the maximum expression was obtained at 100 g/ml, 6 hrs after exposure to Op extract. These findings suggest that Op extract is a potent stimulant of immune cells including T cells and macrophages, which acts by stimulating T cell proliferation and upregulating cytokines. These phenomena imply that some edible plants may be beneficial to living animals through the activation of immune functions.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.621-626
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• 1998

Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica var saboten Makino) is a tropical or subtropical plant, which is widely used as folk medicine for burned wound, edema and indigestion. We previously found that the ethanol extract of cactus stem showed anti-inflanunatory action. This investigation was designed to isolate the active fraction of anti-inflanimatory action from cactus stem by solvent extraction and colunm chromatography. Carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice were used as animal models to search anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. respectively. The ethanol extract of cactus stem was consecutively extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The hexane fraction was the most effective in carrageenan-induced paw edema, and then was separated in colunm chromatography of silica gel by the elution with hexane/ethyl acetate mixture. The most effective fraction 1 was separated in a second colunm chromatography by eluting with hexane/diethyl ether mixture. The most effective fraction 1-5 was obtained, and separated in a third column chromatography by eluting with hexane/chloroform mixture. It produced the most effective fraction 1-5-1. Moreover, fraction 1-5-1 showed an inhibitory effect on acetic acid-induced writhing in the doses of 30mg/kg and 60mg/kg,p.o.,indicating that it also contained analgesic activity.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.160-166
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• 2000

The extracts of Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten were obtained by using seven solvents of increasing polarity and their antioxidative and antimicrobial activities were investigated along with thermal stability. The highest antioxidative activity expressed as electron donating ability and antimicrobial activity were observed in the 95% ethanol extract. Cell growth inhibition was not apparent on Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium, but was great on Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus and staphylococcus aureus at the level of 4.5 mg/ml medium. The ethanol extract of Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten showed the thermal stability in the range of 40∼120$\^{C}$. It was re-extracted sequentially with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water, among which ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest inhibitory effect against Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus and Escherichia coli.