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Opuntia ficus-indica

January 20, 2023

Opuntia ficus-indica, the Indian fig opuntia, fig opuntia, or prickly pear, is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant grown in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world.[3] O. ficus-indica is the most widespread and most commercially important cactus.[2][3] It is grown primarily as a fruit crop, and also for the vegetable nopales and other uses. Cacti are good crops for dry areas because they efficiently convert water into biomass. O. ficus-indica, as the most widespread of the long-domesticated cactuses, is as economically important as maize and blue agave in Mexico. Opuntia species hybridize easily, but the wild origin of O. ficus-indica is likely to have been in central Mexico, where its closest genetic relatives are found.[4]

Opuntia ficus-indica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Opuntia
Species:
O. ficus-indica
Binomial name
Opuntia ficus-indica
Synonyms[2]
  • Cactus decumanus Willd.
  • Nopal Willd.
  • Cactus ficus-indica L.
  • Opuntia amyclaea Ten.
  • Opuntia cordobensis Speg.
  • Opuntia decumana (Willd.) Haw.
  • Opuntia ficus-barbarica A.Berger
  • Opuntia gymnocarpa F.A.C.Weber
  • Opuntia hispanica Griffiths
  • Opuntia maxima Mill.
  • Opuntia megacantha Salm-Dyck
  • Opuntia paraguayensis K.Schum.

Names

Most culinary references to the "prickly pear" refer to this species. The Spanish name tuna is also used for the fruit of this cactus and for Opuntia in general; according to Alexander von Humboldt, it was a word of Taino origin taken into the Spanish language around 1500.[5]

Common English names for the plant and its fruit are Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, prickly pear, and spineless cactus, among many others.[3] In Mexican Spanish, the plant is called nopal, a name that may be used in American English as culinary terms. Peninsular Spanish mostly uses higo chumbo for the fruit and chumbera for the plant.[6]

Description

 
Flowering
 
Flower
 
Fruit

O. ficus-indica is polyploid, hermaphroditic, and autogamous.[7] As Opuntia species grow in semiarid environments, the main limiting factor in their environment is water. They have developed several adaptations to dry conditions, notably succulence.[8]

A perennial shrub, O. ficus-indica can grow up to 5 m in height, with thick, succulent, and oblong to spatulate stems called cladodes. It has a water-repellent and sun-reflecting waxy epidermis. Cladodes 1–2 years old produce flowers, with the fruit's colours ranging from pale green to deep red.[7]

The plants flower in three distinct colours: white, yellow, and red. The flowers first appear in early May through the early summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the fruits ripen from August through October.[citation needed] The fruits are typically eaten, minus the thick outer skin, after chilling in a refrigerator for a few hours. They have a taste similar to sweet watermelon. The bright red/purple or white/yellowish flesh contains many tiny hard seeds that are usually swallowed but should be avoided by those who have problems digesting seeds.

Uses

Human consumption

 
Sliced nopales

O. ficus-indica is consumed widely as food.[3] The fruits are commercialized in many parts of the world, eaten raw, and have one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C of any fruit.[3] The young "leaves" (actually cladodes, which technically are stems) are cooked and eaten as a vegetable known as nopalitos.[3] They are sliced into strips, skinned or unskinned, and fried with eggs and jalapeños, served as a breakfast treat. They have a texture and flavor like green beans. The fruits or leaves can be boiled, used raw, or blended with fruit juice, cooked on a frying pan, used as a side dish with chicken, or added to tacos. Jams and jellies are produced from the fruit, which resemble strawberries and figs in color and flavor.[3] Mexicans may use Opuntia fruit to make an alcoholic drink called colonche.[9]

In Sicily, a prickly pear-flavored liqueur called ficodi is produced, flavored somewhat like a medicinal aperitif. In Malta, a liqueur called bajtra (the Maltese name for prickly pear) is made from this fruit, which grows wild in almost every field. On the island of Saint Helena, the prickly pear also gives its name to locally distilled liqueur, Tungi Spirit.

Fodder

The cattle industry of the Southwest United States has begun to cultivate O. ficus-indica,[3][10] both as a feed source for cattle and a boundary fence. Cattle are normally fed a spineless variety of the cactus.[10] The cactus pads are low in dry matter and crude protein but useful as a supplement in drought conditions. In addition to the food value, the moisture content adequately eliminates watering the cattle during drought.[10] Numerous wildlife species use the prickly pear for food.[10] In severe drought years, the spines of wild prickly pear are sometimes burned off for emergency feed.

Soil erosion prevention

O. ficus-indica is planted in hedges to provide a cheap but effective erosion control in the Mediterranean basin. Under those hedges and adjacent areas, soil physical properties, nitrogen, and organic matter are considerably improved. The structural stability of the soil is enhanced, runoff and erosion are reduced, and water storage capacity and permeability are enhanced.[11] Prickly pear plantations also positively impact the plant growth of other species by improving severe environmental conditions, which facilitate the colonization and development of herbaceous species.[12]

O. ficus-indica is being advantageously used in Tunisia and Algeria to slow and direct sand movement and enhance the restoration of vegetative cover, thus minimizing deterioration of built terraces with its deep and strong rooting system.[13]

Other

The plant may be used as an ingredient in adobe to bind and waterproof roofs.[4] O. ficus-indica (as well as other species in Opuntia and Nopalea) is cultivated in nopalries to serve as a host plant for cochineal insects, which produce desirable red and purple dyes,[3] a practice dating to the pre-Columbian era.[14]

Mucilage from prickly pear may work as a natural, non-toxic dispersant for oil spills.[15]

Mexico has a semicommercial pilot plant for biofuel production from Opuntia biomass, in operation since 2016.[16]

Cultivation

Distribution

Commercial use for O. ficus-indica is for the large, sweet fruits called tunas. An area with a significant tuna-growing cultivation is Mexico.[17] The cactus grows wild and cultivated to heights of 12–16 feet (3.7–4.9 m). In Namibia, O. ficus-indica is a common drought-resistant fodder plant.[18] O. ficus-indica grows in many frost-free areas of the world, including the Southern United States.[19]

Prickly pears are a massive weed problem for some parts of Australia, especially southeast Queensland, some inland parts of New South Wales, Victoria, and south-eastern and eastern South Australia.[20][21][22][23]

Growth

The plant is considered an invasive species in northern Africa.[3][24] Factors that limit the growth of prickly pear are rainfall, soil, atmospheric humidity, and temperature.[25] Its minimum rainfall requirement is 200 mm per year as long as the soils are sandy and deep. The ideal growth conditions regarding rainfall are 200–400 mm (7.9–15.7 in) per year.[11]

O. ficus-indica is sensitive to lack of oxygen in the root zone, requiring well-drained soils.[11] It is similar to crassulacean acid metabolism species, which are not salt-tolerant in their root zone, and growth may cease under high salt concentration.[11] O. ficus-indica usually grows in regions where relative humidity is above 60%, and saturation deficit[further explanation needed] occurs.[11] It is absent in regions where less than 40% humidity occurs for more than a month.[25] Mean daily temperature required to develop is at least 1.5–2.0 °C. At −10 to −12 °C, prickly pear growth is inhibited even if it is exposed to these temperatures only for a few minutes. The maximum temperature limit of prickly pear is above 50 °C.[11]

Harvest and preparation

As the fruits of O. ficus-indica are delicate, they need to be carefully harvested by hand. The small spines on the fruits are removed by rubbing them on an abrasive surface or sweeping them through the grass. Before consumption, they are peeled.[26]

The pads of the plant (mainly used as fodder) also must be harvested by hand. The pads are cut with a knife, detaching the pad from the plant in the joint. If O. ficus-indica is cultivated for forage production, spineless cultivars are preferred, but wild plants are also used as fodder. In these cases, the spines must be removed from the pads to avoid animal damage. Primarily, this is achieved by burning the spines off the pads.[8]

Nutrients and phytochemicals

 
The coat of arms of Mexico depicts a Mexican golden eagle, perched upon an Opuntia cactus, holding a rattlesnake.

O. ficus-indica for human and animal consumption is valuable for its water content in an arid environment, containing about 85% water as a water source for wildlife.[8] The seeds contain 3–10% protein and 6–13% of fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid.[7][27] However, the seeds contained in the fruits can be unpleasant to chew because of their hardness and can lead to constipation.[28][29][30] For this reason, some agronomic studies in Italy and Mexico have focused on decreasing the seed content of Opuntia ficus-indica fruits.[31][32]

As the fruit contains vitamin C (containing 25–30 mg per 100 g),[7][33] it was once used to mitigate scurvy.[34] Opuntia contains selenium.[35]

The red color of the fruit and juice is due to betalains, (betanin and indicaxanthin).[36] The plant also contains flavonoids, such as quercetin, isorhamnetin,[37] and kaempferol.[38]

Biogeography

DNA analysis indicated O. ficus-indica was domesticated from Opuntia species native to central Mexico.[4] The Codex Mendoza, and other early sources, show Opuntia cladodes, as well as cochineal dye (which must be cultivated on Opuntia), in Aztec tribute rolls.[citation needed] The plant spread to many parts of the Americas in pre-Columbian times. Since Columbus, it has spread to many parts of the world, especially the Mediterranean, where it has become naturalized.

References

  1. ^ Arreola, H.; Ishiki, M.; Terrazas, T. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Opuntia ficus-indica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T151706A121563254. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T151706A121563254.en. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Opuntia ficus-indica". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear)". CABI. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Griffith, M. P. (2004). "The Origins of an Important Cactus Crop, Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae): New Molecular Evidence". American Journal of Botany. 91 (11): 1915–1921. doi:10.3732/ajb.91.11.1915. PMID 21652337. S2CID 10454390.
  5. ^ Baron F. H. A. von Humboldt's personal narrative of travels to the equinoctial regions of America tr. 1852 by Ross, Thomasina: "The following are Haytian words, in their real form, which have passed into the Castilian language since the end of the 15th century... Tuna". Quoted in OED 2nd ed.
  6. ^ Vázquez Ruiz, José (30 December 1957). "Etimología de chumbera y chumbo". Revista de Filología Española. 41 (1/4): 410–417. doi:10.3989/rfe.1957.v41.i1/4.1055.
  7. ^ a b c d Miller, =L. "Opuntia ficus-indica". Ecocrop, FAO. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  8. ^ a b c Mondragón-Jacobo and Pérez-González, C. and S. "Cactus (Opuntia spp.) as Forage". FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper 169. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Are prickly pear leaves edible?". 27 February 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d Darrell N. Ueckert. "Pricklypear ecology". Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Le Houérou H. N. (1996). "The role of cacti (Opuntiaspp.) in erosion control, land reclamation, rehabilitation and agricultural development in the Mediterranean Basin". Journal of Arid Environments. 33 (2): 135–159. Bibcode:1996JArEn..33..135L. doi:10.1006/jare.1996.0053.
  12. ^ Neffar S, Chenchouni H, Beddiar A, Redjel N (2013). "Rehabilitation of Degraded Rangeland in Drylands by Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) Plantations: Effect on Soil and Spontaneous Vegetation". Ecologia Balkanica. 5 (2).
  13. ^ Nefzaoui, A., Ben Salem, H., & Inglese, P. (2001). "Opuntia-A strategic fodder and efficient tool to combat desertification in the Wana region." Cactus, 73–89.
  14. ^ Kiesling, R. (1999). "Origen, Domesticación y Distribución de Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae)". Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development. 3: 50–60.
  15. ^ University of South Florida. "Cactus a Natural Oil Dispersant". USF News. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  16. ^ "This Mexican company is making biofuel from cactus plants". The European Sting. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Beles". Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: A-C. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. 2003.
  18. ^ Rothauge, Axel (25 February 2014). . The Namibian. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  19. ^ The Gardeners Dictionary. Opuntia Web (8th ed.). 1768.
  20. ^ "Opuntia ficus-indica".
  21. ^ "NSW WeedWise".
  22. ^ "Atlas of Living Australia".
  23. ^ "prickly pear – Weed Identification – Brisbane City Council".
  24. ^ Ana Novoa, Johannes J. Le Roux, Mark P. Robertson, John R.U. Wilson, David M. Richardson (2015-02-05). "Introduced and invasive cactus species: a global review". academic.oup.com. doi:10.1093/aobpla/plu078/197782. Retrieved 2022-02-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ a b Monjauze, A. & Le Houérou, H. N. (1965). "Le rôle des Opuntia dans l’économie agricole nord africaine." Bulletin de l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie de Tunis, 8–9: 85–164.
  26. ^ Russel, Felkner; C.E., P. (1987). "The Prickly-pears (Opuntia spp., Cactaceae): A Source of Human and Animal Food in Semiarid Regions". Economic Botany. 41 (3): 443–445. doi:10.1007/bf02859062. S2CID 37653492.
  27. ^ El Kossori Radia Lamghari; Villaume Christian; El Boustani Essadiq; Sauvaire Yves; Méjean Luc (1998). "Composition of pulp, skin and seeds of prickly pears fruit (Opuntia ficus indica sp.)". Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 52 (3): 263–270. doi:10.1023/A:1008000232406. PMID 9950087. S2CID 44270292.
  28. ^ Eitan, Arie; Katz, Israel M.; Sweed, Yechiel; Bickel, Amitai (2007-06-01). "Fecal impaction in children: report of 53 cases of rectal seed bezoars". Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 42 (6): 1114–1117. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2007.01.048. ISSN 0022-3468. PMID 17560231.
  29. ^ Eitan, Arie; Bickel, Amitai; Katz, Israel M. (November 2006). "Fecal Impaction in Adults: Report of 30 Cases of Seed Bezoars in the Rectum". Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 49 (11): 1768–1771. doi:10.1007/s10350-006-0713-0. ISSN 0012-3706. PMID 17036204. S2CID 34756475.
  30. ^ Bartha, Gregory W. (1976-11-22). "Fecal Impaction Containing Cactus Seeds". JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 236 (21): 2390–2391. doi:10.1001/jama.1976.03270220012003. ISSN 0098-7484. PMID 989844.
  31. ^ Marini, Lorenzo; Grassi, Chiara; Fino, Pietro; Calamai, Alessandro; Masoni, Alberto; Brilli, Lorenzo; Palchetti, Enrico (2020-08-17). "The Effects of Gibberellic Acid and Emasculation Treatments on Seed and Fruit Production in the Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) cv. "Gialla"". Horticulturae. 6 (3): 46. doi:10.3390/horticulturae6030046. ISSN 2311-7524.
  32. ^ Mejía, Alfredo; Cantwell, Marita (2003). "Prickly Pear Fruit Development and Quality in Relation to Gibberellic Acid Applications to Intact and Emasculated Flower Buds" (PDF). Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development. 5: 72–85.
  33. ^ Tesoriere L, Butera D, Pintaudi AM, Allegra M, Livrea MA (2004). "Supplementation with cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit decreases oxidative stress in healthy humans: a comparative study with vitamin C". Am J Clin Nutr. 80 (2): 391–5. doi:10.1093/ajcn/80.2.391. PMID 15277160.
  34. ^ Carl Zimmer (December 10, 2013). "Vitamins' Old, Old Edge". The New York Times.
  35. ^ Bañuelos GS, Fakra SC, Walse SS, Marcus MA, Yang SI, Pickering IJ, Pilon-Smits EA, Freeman JL (January 2011). "Selenium Accumulation, Distribution, and Speciation in Spineless Prickly Pear Cactus: a Drought- and Salt-Tolerant, Selenium-Enriched Nutraceutical Fruit Crop for Biofortified Foods". Plant Physiology. 155 (1): 315–327. doi:10.1104/pp.110.162867. PMC 3075757. PMID 21059825.
  36. ^ Butera D, Tesoriere L, Di Gaudio F, et al. (November 2002). "Antioxidant activities of sicilian prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit extracts and reducing properties of its betalains: betanin and indicaxanthin". J. Agric. Food Chem. 50 (23): 6895–901. doi:10.1021/jf025696p. hdl:10447/107910. PMID 12405794.
  37. ^ Dok-Go Hyang; Heun Lee Kwang; Ja Kim Hyoung; Ha Lee Eun; Lee Jiyong; Seon Song Yun; Lee Yong-Ha; Jin Changbae; Sup Lee Yong; Cho Jungsook (2003). "Neuroprotective effects of antioxidative flavonoids, quercetin, (+)-dihydroquercetin, and quercetin 3-methyl ether, isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten". Brain Research. 965 (1–2): 130–136. doi:10.1016/S0006-8993(02)04150-1. PMID 12591129. S2CID 8345824.
  38. ^ Kuti Joseph O. (2004). "Antioxidant compounds from four Opuntia cactus pear fruit varieties". Food Chemistry. 85 (4): 527–533. doi:10.1016/S0308-8146(03)00184-5.
 
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January 20, 2023
opuntia, ficus, indica, indian, opuntia, opuntia, prickly, pear, species, cactus, that, long, been, domesticated, crop, plant, grown, agricultural, economies, throughout, arid, semiarid, parts, world, ficus, indica, most, widespread, most, commercially, import. Opuntia ficus indica the Indian fig opuntia fig opuntia or prickly pear is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant grown in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world 3 O ficus indica is the most widespread and most commercially important cactus 2 3 It is grown primarily as a fruit crop and also for the vegetable nopales and other uses Cacti are good crops for dry areas because they efficiently convert water into biomass O ficus indica as the most widespread of the long domesticated cactuses is as economically important as maize and blue agave in Mexico Opuntia species hybridize easily but the wild origin of O ficus indica is likely to have been in central Mexico where its closest genetic relatives are found 4 Opuntia ficus indicaConservation statusData Deficient IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsOrder CaryophyllalesFamily CactaceaeGenus OpuntiaSpecies O ficus indicaBinomial nameOpuntia ficus indica L Mill Synonyms 2 Cactus decumanus Willd Nopal Willd Cactus ficus indica L Opuntia amyclaea Ten Opuntia cordobensis Speg Opuntia decumana Willd Haw Opuntia ficus barbarica A Berger Opuntia gymnocarpa F A C Weber Opuntia hispanica Griffiths Opuntia maxima Mill Opuntia megacantha Salm Dyck Opuntia paraguayensis K Schum Contents 1 Names 2 Description 3 Uses 3 1 Human consumption 3 2 Fodder 3 3 Soil erosion prevention 3 4 Other 4 Cultivation 4 1 Distribution 4 2 Growth 4 3 Harvest and preparation 5 Nutrients and phytochemicals 6 Biogeography 7 ReferencesNames EditMost culinary references to the prickly pear refer to this species The Spanish name tuna is also used for the fruit of this cactus and for Opuntia in general according to Alexander von Humboldt it was a word of Taino origin taken into the Spanish language around 1500 5 Common English names for the plant and its fruit are Indian fig opuntia Barbary fig cactus pear prickly pear and spineless cactus among many others 3 In Mexican Spanish the plant is called nopal a name that may be used in American English as culinary terms Peninsular Spanish mostly uses higo chumbo for the fruit and chumbera for the plant 6 Description Edit Flowering Flower Fruit O ficus indica is polyploid hermaphroditic and autogamous 7 As Opuntia species grow in semiarid environments the main limiting factor in their environment is water They have developed several adaptations to dry conditions notably succulence 8 A perennial shrub O ficus indica can grow up to 5 m in height with thick succulent and oblong to spatulate stems called cladodes It has a water repellent and sun reflecting waxy epidermis Cladodes 1 2 years old produce flowers with the fruit s colours ranging from pale green to deep red 7 The plants flower in three distinct colours white yellow and red The flowers first appear in early May through the early summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the fruits ripen from August through October citation needed The fruits are typically eaten minus the thick outer skin after chilling in a refrigerator for a few hours They have a taste similar to sweet watermelon The bright red purple or white yellowish flesh contains many tiny hard seeds that are usually swallowed but should be avoided by those who have problems digesting seeds Uses EditHuman consumption Edit This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Opuntia ficus indica news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Sliced nopales O ficus indica is consumed widely as food 3 The fruits are commercialized in many parts of the world eaten raw and have one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C of any fruit 3 The young leaves actually cladodes which technically are stems are cooked and eaten as a vegetable known as nopalitos 3 They are sliced into strips skinned or unskinned and fried with eggs and jalapenos served as a breakfast treat They have a texture and flavor like green beans The fruits or leaves can be boiled used raw or blended with fruit juice cooked on a frying pan used as a side dish with chicken or added to tacos Jams and jellies are produced from the fruit which resemble strawberries and figs in color and flavor 3 Mexicans may use Opuntia fruit to make an alcoholic drink called colonche 9 In Sicily a prickly pear flavored liqueur called ficodi is produced flavored somewhat like a medicinal aperitif In Malta a liqueur called bajtra the Maltese name for prickly pear is made from this fruit which grows wild in almost every field On the island of Saint Helena the prickly pear also gives its name to locally distilled liqueur Tungi Spirit Fodder Edit The cattle industry of the Southwest United States has begun to cultivate O ficus indica 3 10 both as a feed source for cattle and a boundary fence Cattle are normally fed a spineless variety of the cactus 10 The cactus pads are low in dry matter and crude protein but useful as a supplement in drought conditions In addition to the food value the moisture content adequately eliminates watering the cattle during drought 10 Numerous wildlife species use the prickly pear for food 10 In severe drought years the spines of wild prickly pear are sometimes burned off for emergency feed Soil erosion prevention Edit O ficus indica is planted in hedges to provide a cheap but effective erosion control in the Mediterranean basin Under those hedges and adjacent areas soil physical properties nitrogen and organic matter are considerably improved The structural stability of the soil is enhanced runoff and erosion are reduced and water storage capacity and permeability are enhanced 11 Prickly pear plantations also positively impact the plant growth of other species by improving severe environmental conditions which facilitate the colonization and development of herbaceous species 12 O ficus indica is being advantageously used in Tunisia and Algeria to slow and direct sand movement and enhance the restoration of vegetative cover thus minimizing deterioration of built terraces with its deep and strong rooting system 13 Other Edit The plant may be used as an ingredient in adobe to bind and waterproof roofs 4 O ficus indica as well as other species in Opuntia and Nopalea is cultivated in nopalries to serve as a host plant for cochineal insects which produce desirable red and purple dyes 3 a practice dating to the pre Columbian era 14 Mucilage from prickly pear may work as a natural non toxic dispersant for oil spills 15 Mexico has a semicommercial pilot plant for biofuel production from Opuntia biomass in operation since 2016 16 Cultivation EditDistribution Edit In Secunderabad India Commercial use for O ficus indica is for the large sweet fruits called tunas An area with a significant tuna growing cultivation is Mexico 17 The cactus grows wild and cultivated to heights of 12 16 feet 3 7 4 9 m In Namibia O ficus indica is a common drought resistant fodder plant 18 O ficus indica grows in many frost free areas of the world including the Southern United States 19 Prickly pears are a massive weed problem for some parts of Australia especially southeast Queensland some inland parts of New South Wales Victoria and south eastern and eastern South Australia 20 21 22 23 Growth Edit The plant is considered an invasive species in northern Africa 3 24 Factors that limit the growth of prickly pear are rainfall soil atmospheric humidity and temperature 25 Its minimum rainfall requirement is 200 mm per year as long as the soils are sandy and deep The ideal growth conditions regarding rainfall are 200 400 mm 7 9 15 7 in per year 11 O ficus indica is sensitive to lack of oxygen in the root zone requiring well drained soils 11 It is similar to crassulacean acid metabolism species which are not salt tolerant in their root zone and growth may cease under high salt concentration 11 O ficus indica usually grows in regions where relative humidity is above 60 and saturation deficit further explanation needed occurs 11 It is absent in regions where less than 40 humidity occurs for more than a month 25 Mean daily temperature required to develop is at least 1 5 2 0 C At 10 to 12 C prickly pear growth is inhibited even if it is exposed to these temperatures only for a few minutes The maximum temperature limit of prickly pear is above 50 C 11 Harvest and preparation Edit As the fruits of O ficus indica are delicate they need to be carefully harvested by hand The small spines on the fruits are removed by rubbing them on an abrasive surface or sweeping them through the grass Before consumption they are peeled 26 The pads of the plant mainly used as fodder also must be harvested by hand The pads are cut with a knife detaching the pad from the plant in the joint If O ficus indica is cultivated for forage production spineless cultivars are preferred but wild plants are also used as fodder In these cases the spines must be removed from the pads to avoid animal damage Primarily this is achieved by burning the spines off the pads 8 Nutrients and phytochemicals Edit The coat of arms of Mexico depicts a Mexican golden eagle perched upon an Opuntia cactus holding a rattlesnake O ficus indica for human and animal consumption is valuable for its water content in an arid environment containing about 85 water as a water source for wildlife 8 The seeds contain 3 10 protein and 6 13 of fatty acids mainly linoleic acid 7 27 However the seeds contained in the fruits can be unpleasant to chew because of their hardness and can lead to constipation 28 29 30 For this reason some agronomic studies in Italy and Mexico have focused on decreasing the seed content of Opuntia ficus indica fruits 31 32 As the fruit contains vitamin C containing 25 30 mg per 100 g 7 33 it was once used to mitigate scurvy 34 Opuntia contains selenium 35 The red color of the fruit and juice is due to betalains betanin and indicaxanthin 36 The plant also contains flavonoids such as quercetin isorhamnetin 37 and kaempferol 38 Biogeography EditDNA analysis indicated O ficus indica was domesticated from Opuntia species native to central Mexico 4 The Codex Mendoza and other early sources show Opuntia cladodes as well as cochineal dye which must be cultivated on Opuntia in Aztec tribute rolls citation needed The plant spread to many parts of the Americas in pre Columbian times Since Columbus it has spread to many parts of the world especially the Mediterranean where it has become naturalized References Edit Arreola H Ishiki M Terrazas T 2017 amended version of 2013 assessment Opuntia ficus indica IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017 e T151706A121563254 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2017 3 RLTS T151706A121563254 en Retrieved 19 December 2022 a b Opuntia ficus indica Germplasm Resources Information Network GRIN Agricultural Research Service ARS United States Department of Agriculture USDA Retrieved 15 December 2017 a b c d e f g h i j Opuntia ficus indica prickly pear CABI 27 September 2018 Retrieved 1 December 2018 a b c Griffith M P 2004 The Origins of an Important Cactus Crop Opuntia ficus indica Cactaceae New Molecular Evidence American Journal of Botany 91 11 1915 1921 doi 10 3732 ajb 91 11 1915 PMID 21652337 S2CID 10454390 Baron F H A von Humboldt s personal narrative of travels to the equinoctial regions of America tr 1852 by Ross Thomasina The following are Haytian words in their real form which have passed into the Castilian language since the end of the 15th century Tuna Quoted in OED 2nd ed Vazquez Ruiz Jose 30 December 1957 Etimologia de chumbera y chumbo Revista de Filologia Espanola 41 1 4 410 417 doi 10 3989 rfe 1957 v41 i1 4 1055 a b c d Miller L Opuntia ficus indica Ecocrop FAO Retrieved 14 November 2015 a b c Mondragon Jacobo and Perez Gonzalez C and S Cactus Opuntia spp as Forage FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper 169 Retrieved 14 November 2015 Are prickly pear leaves edible 27 February 2013 Retrieved 25 April 2019 a b c d Darrell N Ueckert Pricklypear ecology Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Texas A amp M University Retrieved 15 February 2020 a b c d e f Le Houerou H N 1996 The role of cacti Opuntiaspp in erosion control land reclamation rehabilitation and agricultural development in the Mediterranean Basin Journal of Arid Environments 33 2 135 159 Bibcode 1996JArEn 33 135L doi 10 1006 jare 1996 0053 Neffar S Chenchouni H Beddiar A Redjel N 2013 Rehabilitation of Degraded Rangeland in Drylands by Prickly Pear Opuntia ficus indica L Plantations Effect on Soil and Spontaneous Vegetation Ecologia Balkanica 5 2 Nefzaoui A Ben Salem H amp Inglese P 2001 Opuntia A strategic fodder and efficient tool to combat desertification in the Wana region Cactus 73 89 Kiesling R 1999 Origen Domesticacion y Distribucion de Opuntia ficus indica Cactaceae Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development 3 50 60 University of South Florida Cactus a Natural Oil Dispersant USF News Retrieved 25 April 2019 This Mexican company is making biofuel from cactus plants The European Sting 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 April 2019 Beles Encyclopaedia Aethiopica A C Wiesbaden Harrassowitz Verlag 2003 Rothauge Axel 25 February 2014 Staying afloat during a drought The Namibian Archived from the original on 2 March 2014 Retrieved 25 February 2014 The Gardeners Dictionary Opuntia Web 8th ed 1768 Opuntia ficus indica NSW WeedWise Atlas of Living Australia prickly pear Weed Identification Brisbane City Council Ana Novoa Johannes J Le Roux Mark P Robertson John R U Wilson David M Richardson 2015 02 05 Introduced and invasive cactus species a global review academic oup com doi 10 1093 aobpla plu078 197782 Retrieved 2022 02 18 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link a b Monjauze A amp Le Houerou H N 1965 Le role des Opuntia dans l economie agricole nord africaine Bulletin de l Ecole Nationale Superieure d Agronomie de Tunis 8 9 85 164 Russel Felkner C E P 1987 The Prickly pears Opuntia spp Cactaceae A Source of Human and Animal Food in Semiarid Regions Economic Botany 41 3 443 445 doi 10 1007 bf02859062 S2CID 37653492 El Kossori Radia Lamghari Villaume Christian El Boustani Essadiq Sauvaire Yves Mejean Luc 1998 Composition of pulp skin and seeds of prickly pears fruit Opuntia ficus indica sp Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 52 3 263 270 doi 10 1023 A 1008000232406 PMID 9950087 S2CID 44270292 Eitan Arie Katz Israel M Sweed Yechiel Bickel Amitai 2007 06 01 Fecal impaction in children report of 53 cases of rectal seed bezoars Journal of Pediatric Surgery 42 6 1114 1117 doi 10 1016 j jpedsurg 2007 01 048 ISSN 0022 3468 PMID 17560231 Eitan Arie Bickel Amitai Katz Israel M November 2006 Fecal Impaction in Adults Report of 30 Cases of Seed Bezoars in the Rectum Diseases of the Colon amp Rectum 49 11 1768 1771 doi 10 1007 s10350 006 0713 0 ISSN 0012 3706 PMID 17036204 S2CID 34756475 Bartha Gregory W 1976 11 22 Fecal Impaction Containing Cactus Seeds JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association 236 21 2390 2391 doi 10 1001 jama 1976 03270220012003 ISSN 0098 7484 PMID 989844 Marini Lorenzo Grassi Chiara Fino Pietro Calamai Alessandro Masoni Alberto Brilli Lorenzo Palchetti Enrico 2020 08 17 The Effects of Gibberellic Acid and Emasculation Treatments on Seed and Fruit Production in the Prickly Pear Opuntia ficus indica L Mill cv Gialla Horticulturae 6 3 46 doi 10 3390 horticulturae6030046 ISSN 2311 7524 Mejia Alfredo Cantwell Marita 2003 Prickly Pear Fruit Development and Quality in Relation to Gibberellic Acid Applications to Intact and Emasculated Flower Buds PDF Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development 5 72 85 Tesoriere L Butera D Pintaudi AM Allegra M Livrea MA 2004 Supplementation with cactus pear Opuntia ficus indica fruit decreases oxidative stress in healthy humans a comparative study with vitamin C Am J Clin Nutr 80 2 391 5 doi 10 1093 ajcn 80 2 391 PMID 15277160 Carl Zimmer December 10 2013 Vitamins Old Old Edge The New York Times Banuelos GS Fakra SC Walse SS Marcus MA Yang SI Pickering IJ Pilon Smits EA Freeman JL January 2011 Selenium Accumulation Distribution and Speciation in Spineless Prickly Pear Cactus a Drought and Salt Tolerant Selenium Enriched Nutraceutical Fruit Crop for Biofortified Foods Plant Physiology 155 1 315 327 doi 10 1104 pp 110 162867 PMC 3075757 PMID 21059825 Butera D Tesoriere L Di Gaudio F et al November 2002 Antioxidant activities of sicilian prickly pear Opuntia ficus indica fruit extracts and reducing properties of its betalains betanin and indicaxanthin J Agric Food Chem 50 23 6895 901 doi 10 1021 jf025696p hdl 10447 107910 PMID 12405794 Dok Go Hyang Heun Lee Kwang Ja Kim Hyoung Ha Lee Eun Lee Jiyong Seon Song Yun Lee Yong Ha Jin Changbae Sup Lee Yong Cho Jungsook 2003 Neuroprotective effects of antioxidative flavonoids quercetin dihydroquercetin and quercetin 3 methyl ether isolated from Opuntia ficus indica var saboten Brain Research 965 1 2 130 136 doi 10 1016 S0006 8993 02 04150 1 PMID 12591129 S2CID 8345824 Kuti Joseph O 2004 Antioxidant compounds from four Opuntia cactus pear fruit varieties Food Chemistry 85 4 527 533 doi 10 1016 S0308 8146 03 00184 5 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Opuntia ficus indica Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Opuntia ficus indica amp oldid 1128347854, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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