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Cactus: a medicinal food

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Abstract

With excellent quality and flavour of fresh fruits, young leaves of cactus serve as nutritious vegetable and salad dish and the immature fruits for making mock-gherkins. Cactus, with high water use efficiency produce forage for animals, vegetables, and fruits with 14% glucose. Traditionally cactus used as a valuable health supporting nutrient and it also has applications in pharmaceutical industries. Cactus with number of uses has immense potential to be the food of future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Vegetable Science, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, 263145, India

    Anoop A. Shetty

  2. Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, India

    M. K. Rana

  3. Department of Horticulture, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, 263145, India

    S. P. Preetham

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  1. Anoop A. Shetty
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  2. M. K. Rana
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  3. S. P. Preetham
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Correspondence to Anoop A. Shetty.

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Shetty, A.A., Rana, M.K. & Preetham, S.P. Cactus: a medicinal food. J Food Sci Technol 49, 530–536 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-011-0462-5

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