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Developmental changes in composition and quality of prickly pear cactus cladodes (nopalitos)
A Rodriguez-Felix1, M Cantwell
1Center for Food Research and Development, Hermosillo, Mexico.
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Edible prickly pear cactus cladodes (nopalitos) offer good nutrition, with composition varying by development stage. Three Opuntia species showed similar nutritive value in commonly harvested tender stems.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Food Science
- Botany
Background:
- Prickly pear cactus cladodes, known as nopalitos, are a traditional Mexican vegetable.
- Understanding their nutritional profile is crucial for culinary and health applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the nutritional composition and quality of edible prickly pear cactus cladodes.
- To compare three Opuntia species (O. amyclaea, O. ficus-indica, O. inermis) at various developmental stages.
Main Methods:
- Compositional analysis of cladodes (water, protein, lipid, ash, fiber, carbohydrates, sugars, ascorbic acid, carotenes).
- Measurement of juice properties (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids).
- Evaluation across different cladode lengths and developmental stages.
Main Results:
- Average composition per 100g (20 cm cladodes): 91.7g water, 1.1g protein, 0.2g lipid, 1.3g ash, 1.1g crude fiber, 4.6g complex carbs, 0.82g simple sugars, 12.7mg ascorbic acid, 28.9µg carotenes.
- Juice properties: pH 4.6, 0.45% titratable acidity, 6.9% soluble solids.
- Nutritional components like carotenes, acidity, and carbohydrates increased with development, while protein and crude fiber decreased.
Conclusions:
- Nutritional value of tender cladodes (15-25 cm) was consistent across the three studied Opuntia species.
- Developmental stage significantly impacts cladode composition, with variations in key nutrients.