Ficus

Arabinogalactans (AGs) are widely spread throughout the plant kingdom. Many edible and inedible plants are rich sources of these polysaccharides. AGs occur in two structurally different forms described as type I and type II, associated with the pectin cell-wall component by physical bonds and some of them are covalently linked to the complex pectin molecule as neutral side chains. Commercial pectins always contain AG 10-15%). AG of type I has a linear (1 4)-y0-o-Galp backbone, bearing 20-40% of of-L-Ara/ residues (1 5)-linked in short chains, in general at position 3. It is commonly found in pectins from citrus, apple and potato [6]. Recently, this AG type has been isolated from the skin of Opuntia ficus indica pear fruits [372]. 

Stintzing, EC., Schieber, A., and Carle, R., Amino acid composition and betaxanthin formation in fruits from Opuntia ficus-indica, Planta Med., 65, 632, 1999. 

Oleszek, W., Junkuszew, M., and Stochmal, A., Determination and toxicity of saponins from Amaranthus emeritus seeds, J. Agric. Food Chem., 47, 3685, 1999. Schliemaim, W. et al., Betalains of Celosia argentea. Phytochemistry, 58, 159, 2001. Stintzing, F.C., Schieber, A., and Carle, R., Amino acid composition and betaxanthin formation in fruits from Opuntia ficus-indica, Planta Med., 65, 632, 1999. 

As for anthocyanins, betalains are found in vacuoles and cytosols of plant cells. From the various natural sources of betalains, beetroot (Beta vulgaris) and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) are the only edible sources of these compounds. In the food industry, betalains are less commonly used as natural colorants from plant sources than anthocyanins and carotenoids, probably related to their more restricted distribution in nature. To date, red beetroot is the only betalain source exploited for use as a natural food coloring agent. The major betalain in red beetroot is betanin (or betanidin 5-0-P-glucoside). Prickly pear fruits contain mainly (purple-red) betanin and (yellow-orange) indicaxanthin and the color of these fruits is directly related to the betanin-to-indicaxanthin ratio (99 to 1, 1 to 8, and 2 to 1, respectively in white, yellow, and red fruits)." ... 

Butera, D. et al.. Antioxidant activities of Sicilian prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit extracts and reducing properties of its betalains betanin and indicaxanthin, J. 

Piattelli, M. and Minale, L., Pigments of Centrospermae. 1. Betacyanins from Phyl-locactus hyhridus Hort. and Opuntia ficus-indica MiU., Phytochemistry, 3, 307, 1964. 

Tesoriere, L. et ah. Biothiols, taurine, and lipid-soluble antioxidants in the edible pulp of Sicilian cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruits and changes of bioactive juice components upon industrial processing, J. Agric. Food Chem., 53, 7851, 2005. 

Felker, P. et ah. Comparison of Opuntia ficus-indica varieties of Mexican and Argentine origin for fruit yield and quality in Argentina, J. Arid Environ., 60, 405, 2005. 

Galati, E.M. et al.. Chemical characterization and biological effects of Sicilian Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) fruit iuice antioxidant and antiulcerogenic activity, J. Aerie. Food Chem., 51, 4903, 2003. 

Gentile, C. et al.. Antioxidant betalains from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus- indica) fruit inhibit endothelial ICAM-1 expression, Ann. NY Acad. ScL, 1028, 481, 2004. 

Tesoriere, L. et al.. Supplementation with cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit decreases oxidative stress in healthy humans a comparative smdy with vitamin C, Am. J. Clin. Nutr, 80, 391, 2004. 

Mosshammer, M.R. et al.. Impact of thermal treatment and storage on color of yellow-orange cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica [L.] Mill. cv. Gialla ) juices, J. Food Sci., 71, C400, 2006. 

Stintzing F C, Schieber A and Carle R (2002), Identification of betalains from yellow beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) by high-performance liquid chromatography - electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry , J Agric Food Chem, 50, 2302-2307. 

A genus of trees yielding a good type of natural rubber, of little commercial importance nowadays. The Ficus elastica is the well-known ornamental rubber plant. 

Arcoleo A, Ruccia M and Cusmano S. 1961. Sui pigmenti llavonici delle Opuntiae. Nota I. Isoranmetina dai fiori di O. ficus indica Mill. Ann Chim 51 751—758. 

Arcoleo A, Ruccia M and Natoli MC. 1966. Beta-sitosterolo dai fiori di Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. (Cactaceae). Atti Accad Sci Lett Art (Palermo) 25 323—232. 

Forni E, Polesello A, Montefiori D and Maestrelli A. 1992. A high performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the pigments of blood-red prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica). J Chromatogr 593 177-183. 

Frati AC, Jimenez E and Ariza CR. 1990b. Hypoglycemic effect of Opuntia ficus-indica in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients. Phytother Res 4 195—197. 

Galati EM, Tripodo, MM, Trovato A, Miceli N and Monforte MT. 2002. Biological effect of Opuntia ficus-indica (L) Mill (Cactacea) waste matter. Note I diuretic activity. J Ethnopharmacol 79(1) 17—21. 

Medellin MLC, Salvidar SOS and De la Garza TV. 1998. Effect of raw and cooked nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica) ingestion on growth and total cholesterol, lipoproteins and blood glucose in rats. Arch Latinoamer Nutr 48 316-323. 

Sisini A. 1969. Sulla glucose-6-fosfato isomerasi in Opuntia ficus-indica. Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper 45 794-796. 

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