In the main cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica)-producing region in the State of Mexico, fruit production occupies the largest cultivated area with 15,800 ha, while 900 ha are cultivated for edible young Opuntia pads (\"nopalitos\") which are consumed as vegetables. Two composite samples consisting of cladodes of plants for fruit production (n = 6) and another of \"nopalitos\" (n = 6) showing virus-like symptoms were collected. Both sample sets were subjected to high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to identify the viruses and viroids. The HTS results were verified using RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. Subsequently, 86 samples including cladodes from \"nopalitos\", plants for fruit production, xoconostles, and some wild Opuntia were analyzed via RT-PCR with specific primers for the viruses and viroids previously detected via HTS. Three viruses were discovered [Opuntia virus 2 (OV2), cactus carlavirus 1 (CCV-1), and Opuntia potexvirus A (OPV-A)], along with a previously reported viroid [Opuntia viroid 1 (OVd-1)]. Additionally, two new viroids were identified, provisionally named the Mexican opuntia viroid (MOVd, genus Pospiviroid) and Opuntia viroid 2 (OVd-2, genus Apscaviroid). A phylogenetic analysis, pairwise identity comparison, and conserved structural elements analysis confirmed the classification of these two viroids as new species within the Pospiviroidae family. This is the first report of a pospiviroid and two apscaviroids infecting cactus pears in the world. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the virome associated with cactus pears in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity, characterized by abnormal fat accumulation and metabolic disturbances, presents a significant health challenge. Opuntia humifusa Raf., commonly known as Korean Cheonnyuncho, is rich in various beneficial compounds and has demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, its potential impact on glucose and lipid metabolism, particularly in obese rats, remains unexplored. We aimed to investigate whether O. humifusa stems and fruits could beneficially alter glucose metabolism and lipid profiles in a rat model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity.
METHODS: Thirty-two rats were allocated into 4 groups: normal diet (NF), HFD control (HF), HFD treated with 2% O. humifusa stems (HF-OS), and HFD treated with 2% O. humifusa fruits (HF-OF). Experimental diets were administered for 6 weeks. At the end of the treatment, liver and fat tissues were isolated, and serum was collected for biochemical analysis. The major flavonoid from O. humifusa stems and fruits was identified and quantified.
RESULTS: After 6 weeks of treatment, the serum fasting glucose concentration in the HF-OS group was significantly lower than that in the HF group. Serum fasting insulin concentrations in both HF-OS and HF-OF groups tended to be lower than those in the HF group, indicating a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity in the HF-OS group. Additionally, the HF-OS group exhibited a tendency towards the restoration of adiponectin levels to that of the NF group.
CONCLUSIONS: The 2% O. humifusa stems contain abundant quercetin and isorhamnetin, which alter fasting blood glucose levels in rats fed a HFD, leading to a favorable improvement in insulin resistance.

Opuntia plants are abundant but still underexplored edible resources of the Algerian region. This work chemically characterizes extracts of different parts of the fruit of the commercial Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. and the wild Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. growing in Bejaia, and evaluates their anti-inflammatory potential through different cell and cell-free bioassays. The LC-ESI-UHR-QqTOF-MS/MS analysis enabled the identification of 18 compounds, with azelaic acid and 1-O-vanilloyl-β-d-glucose reported here for the first time. Aqueous extracts of seeds were the most effective in scavenging superoxide anion radical (IC50 = 111.08 μg/mL) and presented the best anti-inflammatory potential in LPS-stimulated macrophages (IC50 = 206.30 μg/mL). The pulp of O. stricta suggested potential for addressing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, with piscidic and eucomic acids predicted with the strongest binding affinity towards tyrosinase, exhibiting higher scoring values than the reference inhibitor kojic acid. This pioneer study brings valuable perspectives for the pharmacological, nutritional and economic valorization of the wild O. stricta for functional foods.

BACKGROUND: Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller is dominantly growing on degraded soils in arid and semi-arid areas. The plants might establish a strong association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to adapt to nutrient, drought, and herbivore insect stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of AMF inoculations and variable soil water levels (SWA) on the biomass, nutrient concentration, nutritional composition, and nutrient digestibility of the spiny and spineless O. ficus-indica by inducing resistance to cochineal stress. One mother Opuntia ficus-indica cladode was planted in a single pot in each field with 24 kg mixed soil. AMF inoculums were cultured in sorghum plants in a greenhouse and were inoculated in the planted cladodes. The planted cladodes were arranged using a completely randomized design (CRD) with three factors: AMF (present and absent); O. ficus-indica type (spiny and spineless) and four water treatments with 0-25% of plant available soil water (SWA), 25-50% of SWA, 50-75% of SWA, and 75-100% of SWA.
RESULTS: Drought stress reduced the below and above-ground biomass, cladode nutrient content, nutritional composition, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD). AMF colonization significantly increased biomass production with significant changes in the macro and micro-nutrient concentrations of O. ficus-indica. AMF inoculation significantly increased the IVDMD and IVOMD of both O. ficus-indica types by improving the biomass, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and reduced fiber and ash contents. AMF-inoculated cladodes improved the nutrient concentrations of the cladodes. AMF caused an increase in biomass production, increased tolerance to cochineal stress, and improved nutrient concentration, nutritional composition, and nutrient digestibility performance of O. ficus-indica plants.
CONCLUSIONS: AMF improved the performance of the O. ficus-indica plant to resist drought and cochineal stress and increased the biomass, nutrient concentration, nutritional composition, and nutrient digestibility. The potential of O. ficus-indica to adapt to cochineal stress is controlled by the macro and micro-nutrient concentration brought by the AMF association.

Sunflower oil (SFO) and Flaxseed oil (FSO) were microencapsulated using simple and complex coacervation techniques with Opuntia (Cactaceae) mucilage (Mu) and with a combination of Mu with chitosan (Chit). The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of SFO and FSO in emulsions using Mu/Chit shells was 96.7% and 97.4%, respectively. Morphological studies indicated successful entrapment of oils in core shells with particle sizes ranging from 1396 ± 42.4 to 399.8 ± 42.3 nm. The thermogravimetric analyses demonstrated enhanced core protection with thermal stability noted for microcapsules regardless of encapsulation method. The stability of the microcapsules, during in vitro digestion was studied. The obtained results revealed that the microcapsules are intact in oral conditions and have a slow release of oil over stomach digestion and rapid release in the small intestine. The results showed that Mu and Mu/Chit coacervates can be used as effective carrier systems to encapsulate sensitive ingredients and functional oils.

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been recognized as important mediators of intercellular communication able to transfer active biomolecules across the plant and animal kingdoms. EVs have demonstrated an impressive array of biological activities, displaying preventive and therapeutic potential in mitigating various pathological processes. Indeed, the simplicity of delivering exogenous and endogenous bioactive molecules to mammalian cells with their low cytotoxicity makes EVs suitable agents for new therapeutic strategies for a variety of pathologies. In this study, EVs were isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica fruit (OFI-EVs) and characterized by particle size distribution, concentration, and bioactive molecule composition. OFI-EVs had no obvious toxicity and demonstrated a protective role in the inflammatory process and oxidative stress in vitro model of chronic skin wounds. The results demonstrated that pretreatment with OFI-EVs decreased the activity and gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) in the LPS-stimulated human leukemia monocytic cell line (THP-1). Furthermore, OFI-EVs promote the migration of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), speeding up the normal wound healing processes. This study sheds light, for the first time, on the role of OFI-EVs in modulating important biological processes such as inflammation and oxidation, thereby identifying EVs as potential candidates for healing chronic cutaneous wounds.

The current status of environmental pollution by heavy metals (HMs) will affect the entire ecosystem components. The results obtained so far indicate that some plants can be effective in removing toxic metals from the soil. For this purpose, the phytoremediation ability of three fleshy ornamental plants; cactus (Opuntia humifusa), kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) and bryophyllum (Bryophyllum delagoensis), was evaluated under the stress of HMs. These succulents are known for their remarkable adaptive capabilities, allowing them to thrive in harsh environmental conditions, including those with high levels of contaminants. Their robust nature, efficient water-use strategies, and proven potential for heavy metal accumulation made them viable candidates for investigating their phytoremediation potential. This experiment was performed as factorial based on completely randomized block design with two factors; the first factor included the type of plant in 3 levels (cactus, kalanchoe and bryophyllum) and the second one included the type of metal in 5 levels (control, silver, cadmium, lead and nickel) in 3 repetitions. The concentration of each salt used was 100 ppm. The measured parameters included stem height, relative growth, diameter, dry matter percentage of root and shoot, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, proline, and elements of nickel, silver, lead and cadmium, as well biological concentration factor. The results showed that the highest amount of final stem height, relative growth, dry matter percentage of shoot and the highest amount of chlorophyll a and b, carotenoid and anthocyanin were obtained in bryophyllum. Also, the results of mean comparison of the data related to the effect of metal type on the plants showed that the highest amount of carotenoid, anthocyanin and biological concentration factor were induced by cadmium. On the other hand, the highest and lowest amount of proline as well anthocyanin and proline were induced by silver and lead, respectively. Totally, bryophyllum had a high resistance to HMs and the examined HMs had less effect on the growth of this plant. Cactus, among trial species, exhibited superior potential for HM absorption compared to kalanchoe and bryophyllum. The study underscores cactus as an excellent phytoremediator.

BACKGROUND: A wealth of evidence underscores the bioactive properties of nutraceuticals and functional foods in addressing oxyinflammatory-based diseases with implications at both peripheral and central levels. Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) is well-documented for its health-promoting attributes, though its fruit (OFIF) remains relatively understudied. Not only poses Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) cardiometabolic risks but also contributes significantly to cognitive impairment, especially in crucial brain areas such as hippocampus and hypothalamus.
METHODS: Following 8 weeks of HFD to induce MetS, rats received OFIF oral supplementation for 4 weeks to evaluate cognitive and affective modifications using behavioural paradigms, i.e. open field, burrowing, white-dark box, novelty-suppressed feeding, and object recognition tests. Our investigation extended to biochemical evaluations of lipid homeostasis, central and peripheral oxidative stress and neurotrophic pathways, correlating these measures together with circulating leptin levels.
RESULTS: Our data revealed that OFIF modulation of leptin positively correlates with systemic and brain oxidative stress, with markers of increased anxiety-like behaviour and impaired lipid homeostasis. On the other hand, leptin levels reduced by OFIF are associated with improved antioxidant barriers, declarative memory and neurotrophic signalling.
CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores OFIF neuroactive potential in the context of MetS-associated cognitive impairment, offering insights into its mechanisms and implications for future therapeutic strategies.

The study aimed to extract and encapsulate betalain pigment from prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) using ultrasound-assisted extraction and eco-friendly glycerol. Subsequent analysis encompassed assessing its thermal stability, shelf-life, bio-accessibility, and biological properties. The process optimization employed Response Surface Methodology (RSM), focusing on glycerol concentration (20-50 %), sample to solvent ratio (1:10-1:20), temperature (30-60 °C), and time (10-30 min). Optimal conditions were determined as 23.15 % glycerol, 1:10 sample to solvent ratio, 10.43 min treatment time, and 31.15 °C temperature. Under these conditions, betalain content reached 858.28 mg/L with a 93.76 % encapsulation efficiency. Thermal stability tests (80-180 °C; 30 & 60 min) showed degradation of betalain with higher temperatures and longer durations, affecting the visual aspect (ΔE) of the pigment. Encapsulated betalain exhibited favorable shelf stability, with optimal storage life of 404.27 days at 4 °C in amber conditions, compared to 271.99 days at 4 °C without amber, 141.92 days at 25 °C without amber, and 134.22 days at 25 °C with amber. Bio-accessibility of encapsulated betalain was significantly higher (2.05 ± 0.03 %) than conventionally extracted pigment (1.03 ± 0.09 %). The encapsulated pigment displayed strong anti-inflammatory properties in dosages of 2-20 µL, with no cytotoxic effects. Additionally, incorporation into gummies was successful and visually approved by sensory panellists. Glycerol proved to be a green encapsulating agent for betalain, offering high shelf life and bio-accessibility, making it suitable for food industry applications. The encapsulated pigment demonstrated robust thermal stability and shelf life, making it suitable for food industry applications. This study highlights glycerol\'s potential as a sustainable alternative for natural pigment extraction.

Controlled drug delivery systems offer numerous advantages. This research evaluates Opuntia leaf mucilage grafted with polyacrylamide (OPM-g-PAM) as a promising controlled-release polymer. PAM chains were grafted onto the backbone of OPM using a microwave-assisted method. Optimization of the best grade was based on % grafting efficiency and intrinsic viscosity, followed by extensive physical and analytical characterizations. Analytical characterizations revealed semicrystalline nature of the biomaterial. SEM and AFM observations revealed rough and porous surfaces, indicating effective grafting. Swelling behavior showed maximum sensitivity at pH 7, with reduced swelling at higher sodium chloride concentrations. A comparative study of % drug release of Rosuvastatin over 24 h showed that the optimized grade controlled drug release effectively, achieving 78.5 % release compared to 98.8 % for GF-3. The release data fitted the Korsmeyer-Peppas model, with an \"n\" value of 0.8334, indicating non-Fickian (anomalous) diffusion. Bacterial biodegradability studies confirmed the high biodegradability of the graft copolymer. In vitro acute toxicity tests showed no toxicity, as confirmed by histopathological studies of heart, liver, and kidney. Overall, the results indicate that OPM-g-PAM is a highly promising material for use in drug delivery systems, demonstrating potential as a novel controlled-release polymer.