The Opuntia ficus-indica multiple properties are reflected in the increasing interest of chemists in the identification of its natural components having pharmaceutical and/or cosmetical applications. Here we report the structural elucidation of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage that highlighted the presence of components differing for their chemical nature and the molecular weight distribution. The...

In Sicily folk medicine, Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. cladodes are used for the treatment of gastric ulcer. We studied the effect of administration of lyophilized cladodes on experimental ethanol-induced ulcer in rat. In this paper, we report the ultrastructural observations of gastric mucosa. The ultrastructural changes were observed by trasmission electronic microscopy (TEM) confirming the...

the aim of this work was to optimize the coagulation-flocculation (cf) process applied tomunicipal wastewaters (ww). optimization of cf was performed to minimize chemical oxygen demand(cod), turbidity, sludge produced, and some metals in sludge. a box-behnken design was used to evaluate the effects and interactions of three factors such as type of biopolymer (guar, mesquite seed gum and opuntia...

the aim of this work was to optimize the coagulation-flocculation (cf) process applied tomunicipal wastewaters (ww). optimization of cf was performed to minimize chemical oxygen demand(cod), turbidity, sludge produced, and some metals in sludge. a box-behnken design was used to evaluate the effects and interactions of three factors such as type of biopolymer (guar, mesquite seed gum and opuntia...

Mucilage of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) was extracted and characterized by its composition and molecular weight distribution. Mucilage film-forming dispersions were prepared under different pHs (3, 4, 5.6, 7, and 8) and calcium concentration (0% and 30% of CaCl(2), with respect to mucilage's weight), and their particle size determined. Mucilage films with and without calcium (MFCa and MF, respec...

Cactus is a plant that naturally grows in tropical and semi-tropical regions of the world. The composition of this mucilage is believed to differ from species to species. Hence, comparative study was carried out on mucilages of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) and Opuntia stricta (OS) as regard to their physico-chemical properties and acute toxicity levels. The study indicated that solubility of the ...

Opuntia ficus indica cladodes are used in traditional medicine of many countries for their cicatrisant activity. The major components of cladodes are carbohydrate-containing polymers, which consist of a mixture of mucilage and pectin. In this paper we studied the cytoprotective effects of cladodes on experimental ethanol-induced ulcer in rat. The O. ficus indica cladodes administration gives ri...

the opuntia ficus indica mucilage was an abundant and a low cost product. in the presentpaper, it was tested as an eco-friendly flocculants for textile waste water treatment. its performance asflocculants in decolorization, cod removal and turbidity abatement was checked. the natural product wascharacterized using uv-vis and infra-red spectroscopy. the study of the effect, followed by an optimi...

Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. is widely cultivated in Jeju Island (South Korea) for use in manufacture of health foods. This study described antidepressant effect of two flavonoids (kaempferol and quercitrin) isolated from the Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. The expression of the hypothalamic POMC mRNA or plasma β-endorphin levels were increased by extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. s...

The mucilage obtained from cactus is commonly described as water-soluble pectin-like polysaccharide. Although few potential uses of this material have been described, it is not an industrial hydrocolloid. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rheological behavior of the polysaccharide isolated from the cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica. The polymer had a weight average molecular mass (...