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By-Products of Opuntia ficus-indica as a Source of Antioxidant Dietary Fiber

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Abstract

Dietary fiber and bioactive compounds are widely used as functional ingredients in processed foods. The market in this field is competitive and the development of new types of quality ingredients for the food industry is on the rise. Opuntia ficus-indica (cactus pear) produces edible tender stems (cladodes) and fruits with a high nutritional value in terms of minerals, protein, dietary fiber and phytochemicals; however, around 20% of fresh weight of cladodes and 45% of fresh weight of fruits are by-products. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the nutritional value of by-products obtained from cladodes and fruits from two varieties of Opuntia ficus-indica, examining their dietary fiber and natural antioxidant compound contents in order to obtain quality ingredients for functional foods and increase the added value of these by-products.

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Abbreviations

ABTS:

2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)

AC:

Antioxidant capacity

DF:

Dietary fiber

EP:

Extractable polyphenols

FRAP:

Ferric reducing ability assay

IDF:

Insoluble dietary fiber

NEP:

Non extractable polyphenols

SDF:

Soluble dietary fiber

TDF:

Total dietary fiber

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (project AGL2008-01633). The authors acknowledge Mexican association CoMenTuna (Hidalgo, Mexico) for providing the plant materials. DHH acknowledges predoctoral fellowships from CONACyT and SEP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Health Unit UCM/CSIC, Department of Nutrition I, Faculty of Pharmacy, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Sara Bensadón, Deisy Hervert-Hernández, Sonia G. Sáyago-Ayerdi & Isabel Goñi

  2. Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología I (Nutrición), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Isabel Goñi

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  1. Sara Bensadón
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  2. Deisy Hervert-Hernández
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  3. Sonia G. Sáyago-Ayerdi
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  4. Isabel Goñi
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Correspondence to Isabel Goñi.

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Bensadón, S., Hervert-Hernández, D., Sáyago-Ayerdi, S.G. et al. By-Products of Opuntia ficus-indica as a Source of Antioxidant Dietary Fiber. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65, 210–216 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-010-0176-2

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