AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and chronic effects of OpunDia (Opuntia ficus-indica) in obese pre-diabetic men and women. MATERIALS AND METHODS This double-blind placebo controlled study included participants (age range of 20-50 years) randomly assigned to one of the two groups and given a 16-week supply of either the 200 mg OpunDia (n=15), or placebo (n=14)....

The rates and extents of hydrolysis of alpha(S)- and beta-caseins from bovine, caprine, and ovine sodium caseinates produced by an enzymatic extract of the fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica, (L.) Miller were evaluated and compared with those produced by a commercial animal rennet. A mechanistic model based on a pseudo-first-order enzymatic reaction, in the presence of first-order deactivation of th...

The production of beneficial microorganisms is the first step to obtain a commercial-based product for application in agriculture. In this study, prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) pruning waste was evaluated as raw material large amounts Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms (PGPMs) reducing number generated wastes. Specifically, five PGPMs constituting synthetic microbial consortium with com...

This study examined whether Opuntia humifusa (O. humifusa), which is a member of the Cactaceae family, supplementation and acute swimming exercise affect insulin sensitivity and associations with PPAR-γ and PGC-1α protein expression in rats. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups (HS: high fat diet sedentary group, n = 8; HE: high fat diet acute exercise group, n = 8; OS: 5% O. ...

Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw., a well-known member of the Cactaceae family, played an important role in agriculture and medicine. In this study, extraction conditions physico-chemical properties water-soluble polysaccharides (OMP) from mucilage were investigated. The cactus cladodes used study collected Binh Thuan province, Vietnam. optimum water with conventional heating included at temper...

Pulp (CP) and ultrafiltered (UF) cactus pear extracts were encapsulated with Capsul (C) by applying a central composite design (CP-C and UF-C systems) by spray-drying. To evaluate the effect of the extract, microparticles obtained under optimal conditions were characterised and stored at 60 °C. Betacyanin and betaxanthin encapsulation efficiency reached values above 98% for both systems studied...

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) associated with dry rainy seasons on photochemical activity Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. cv. Gigante. Combinations N (10.0, 70.0, 100.0, 130.0, 190.0 kg ha−1 yr−1) P2O5 were evaluated in semi-arid regions. A completely randomized block design split-plot arrangement was adopted four replications. In Quixadá, [...]