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Effects of Cooking Methods on Phenolic Compounds in Xoconostle (Opuntia joconostle)

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Abstract

Xoconostle, the acidic cactus pear fruit of Opuntia joconostle of the Cactaceae family, is the source of several phytochemicals, such as betalain pigments and numerous phenolic compounds. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of four cooking procedures (i.e., boiling, grilling, steaming and microwaving) on the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (measured by ABTS, DPPH, reducing power, and BCBA) of xoconostle. In addition, HPLC-DAD analyses were performed to identify and quantify individual phenolic compounds. After microwaving and steaming xoconostle, the TPC remained the same that in fresh samples, whereas both grilling and boiling produced a significant, 20 % reduction (p ≤ 0.05). Total flavonoids remained unchanged in boiled and grilled xoconostle, but steaming and microwaving increased the flavonoid content by 13  and 20 %, respectively. Steaming and microwaving did not produce significant changes in the antioxidant activity of xoconostle, whereas boiling and grilling result in significant decreases. The phenolic acids identified in xoconostle fruits were gallic, vanillic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, ferulic and protocatechuic acids; the flavonoids identified were epicatechin, catechin, rutin, quercitrin, quercetin and kaempferol. Based on the results, steaming and microwaving are the most suitable methods for retaining the highest level of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in xoconostle.

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Abbreviations

ABTS:

2, 2′-Azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)

BCBA:

β-Carotene bleaching assay

CE:

Catechin equivalents

DPPH:

2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl

DWB:

Dry weight basis

EC50 :

Half-maximal effective concentration

GAE:

Gallic acid equivalents

Rt:

Retention time

TE:

Trolox (6-hydroxy-2, 5, 7, 8-tetramethychroman-2-carboxylicacid) equivalents

TFC:

Total flavonoid content

TPC:

Total phenolic content

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Acknowledgments

This research was partly funded by CONACyT scholarship no. 237260, Secretaria de Investigación y Posgrado-IPN Proyect Number 20130428.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict ofinterest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carpio y Plan de Ayala s/n, Col, Santo Tomás, 11340, D.F, Mexico

    Rosa María Cortez-García & Alicia Ortiz-Moreno

  2. Departamento de Química Orgánica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carpio y Plan de Ayala s/n, Col, Santo Tomás, 11340, D.F, México

    Luis Gerardo Zepeda-Vallejo

  3. Coordinación de Cooperación Académica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Avenida Miguel Othón de Mendizábal s/n. Col. La Escalera, Santo Tomás, 0778, D.F, Mexico

    Hugo Necoechea-Mondragón

Authors
  1. Rosa María Cortez-García
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  2. Alicia Ortiz-Moreno
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  3. Luis Gerardo Zepeda-Vallejo
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  4. Hugo Necoechea-Mondragón
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Correspondence to Alicia Ortiz-Moreno.

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Cortez-García, R.M., Ortiz-Moreno, A., Zepeda-Vallejo, L.G. et al. Effects of Cooking Methods on Phenolic Compounds in Xoconostle (Opuntia joconostle). Plant Foods Hum Nutr 70, 85–90 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-014-0465-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-014-0465-2

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