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Prickly Pear, Cactus Fruit
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People who live in the southwest areas of the United States are familiar with the prickly pear as a needle bearing cactus. Yet most people are unaware that this ancient plant has been used for thousands of years by Mexican Indian cultures for nutritional and health benefits.
The prickly pear, (opuntia ficus-indica) is a fruit and flower bearing plant. It grows best in desert conditions, but has also been known to survive in colder climates that experience frost and snow. Growing in popularity, European countries and American markets now sell commercially grown prickly pear in their produce sections.
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What are the nutritional benefits of prickly pear, and does science agree?
This plant is rich in flavanoids, such as kaempferol, puercetin, kaempferol 3-methyl ether, quercetin 3-methyl ether, narcissin, dihykrokaempferol (aromadendrin, 6), dihydroquercetin and eriodictyol. Flavanoids are the powerhouse of prickly pear.
Studies have shown that flavanoids, found in great abundance in the prickly pear, can protect the immune system and prevent oxidative stress by acting as a fighter against free radicals. Cells and organs are protected by this antioxidant action.
Athletes in search of more energy in the gym have turned to prickly pear. The nutritional benefits reduce post-exercise muscle soreness, speed recovery of muscles and reduce the chances of developing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).
Prickly pear is not an essential nutrient, however, so no daily requirement or allowance is necessary.
The nutritional benefits of prickly pear extract, or preparing and eating fresh "Nopal", (the prickly pear pads), are many. The fruit of the prickly pear can also be eaten along with the pads. This is the stem from which the flower appears. After the flower has died, the stem remains and turns a red-pink color when ripe.
Colon Cleansing
The soluble and insoluble dietary fibers in Nopal aid in colon cleansing. These roughage qualities, or insoluble dietary fiber, gently move food through the digestive track. The same fibers dilute the concentration of any carcinogens present. The soluble fibers work to aid in regularity as well.
High Cholesterol Help
Amino acids, fiber and B3 (niacin) found in Nopal prevents excess blood sugar converting into fats. They slow total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels by metabolizing fat and fatty acids and eliminating excess bile acids which, in excess, are converted into cholesterol. Studies on B3 (niacin) reveal its power converting
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Betalain Research Study - 1
Betalains May Limit Production of LDL Cholesterol in Humans
Betanin inhibits the myeloperoxidase/nitrite-induced oxidation of human low-density lipoproteins.Allegra M, Tesoriere L, Livrea MA.
Department of Pharmaceutical, Toxicological and Biological Chemistry, Università di Palermo, Italy.
Production of nitrogen dioxide by the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the presence of nitrite is now considered a key step in the pathophysiology of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. This study shows that betanin, a phytochemical of the betalain class, inhibits the production of lipid hydroperoxides in human LDL submitted to a MPO/nitrite-induced oxidation. Kinetic measurements including time-course of particle oxidation and betanin consumption, either in the presence or in the absence of nitrite, suggest that the antioxidant effect is possibly the result of various actions. Betanin scavenges the initiator radical nitrogen dioxide and can also act as a lipoperoxyl radical-scavenger. In addition, unidentified oxidation product(s) of betanin by MPO/nitrite inhibit(s) the MPO/nitrite-induced LDL oxidation as effectively as the parent compound. In the light of betanin bioavailability and post-absorbtion distribution in humans, present findings may suggest favourable in vivo activity of this phytochemical
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Betalain Research Study - 2
Betalains May Counteract Many Degenerative Processes In the Body
Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. fruit juice protects liver from carbon tetrachloride-induced injury.Galati EM, Mondello MR, Lauriano ER, Taviano MF, Galluzzo M, Miceli N.
Pharmaco-Biological Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Messina, Vill. SS. Annunziata, Italy. emgalati@unime.it
The protective effects of the juice of Opuntia ficus indica fruit (prickly pear) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity were examined in rats. The animals were treated orally with the juice (3 mL/rat) 2 h after administration of the hepatotoxic agent. Preventive effects were studied by giving the juice (3 mL/rat) for 9 consecutive days. On day 9 the rats received the hepatotoxic agent. Morphological and biochemical evaluations were carried out 24, 48 and 72 h after induction of the hepatic damage. Data show that O. ficus indica fruit juice administration exerts protective and curative effects against the CCl(4)-induced degenerative process in rat liver. Histology evaluation revealed a normal hepatic parenchyma at 48 h; the injury was fully restored after 72 h. Moreover, a significant reduction in CCl(4)-induced increase of GOT and GPT plasma levels is evident; these data are in agreement with the functional improvement of hepatocytes. O. ficus indica fruit juice contains many phenol compounds, ascorbic acid, betalains, betacyanins, and a flavonoid fraction, which consists mainly of rutin and isorhamnetin derivatives. Hepatoprotection may be related to the flavonoid fraction of the juice, but other compounds, such as vitamin C and betalains could, synergistically, counteract many degenerative processes by means of their antioxidant activity.
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Betalain Research Study - 3
Betalains May Counteract Oxidative Stess in Humans
Distribution of betalain pigments in red blood cells after consumption of cactus pear fruits and increased resistance of the cells to ex vivo induced oxidative hemolysis in humans.Tesoriere L, Butera D, Allegra M, Fazzari M, Livrea MA.
Dipartimento Farmacochimico Tossicologico e Biologico, Facoltà di Farmacia, Università di Palermo, 1 Via C. Forlanini, 90134 Palermo, Italy.
Betalain pigments are bioavailable phytochemicals recently acknowledged as natural radical scavengers. This work, which extends previous research on the postabsorbitive fate of dietary betalains, investigated the distribution of betanin and indicaxanthin in red blood cells (RBCs) isolated from healthy volunteers (n = 8), before and during the 1-8 h interval after a cactus pear fruit meal, and the potential antioxidative activity of the pigments in these cells. A peak concentration of indicaxanthin (1.03 +/- 0.2 microM) was observed in RBCs isolated at 3 h after fruit feeding, whereas the concentration at 5 h was about half, and even smaller amounts were measured at 8 h. Indicaxanthin was not detected at 1 h. Betanin (30.0 +/- 5.2 nM) was found only in RBCs isolated at 3 h from fruit feeding. In comparison with homologous RBCs before fruit ingestion, a significant delay (P < 0.05) of the onset of an ex vivo cumene hydroperoxide (cumOOH)-induced hemolysis was evident in the RBCs isolated at 3 h (33.0 +/- 4.5 min) and at 5 h (16.0 +/- 2.0 min). Neither vitamins C and E nor GSH was modified in the RBCs at any time point. Blood collected from the same volunteers after a 12-h fasting was incubated with the purified betalains in the range of 5-25 microM, to enrich the erythrocytes with either betanin or indicaxanthin, and then the cells were exposed to cumOOH. When compared to the relevant nonenriched cells, the betalain-enriched erythrocytes exhibited an enhanced resistance to the cumOOH-induced hemolysis, which was positively correlated (r (2) = 0.99) to the amount of the incorporated compound. On a micromolar basis, betanin and indicaxanthin showed a comparable effectiveness. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that human RBCs incorporate dietary betalains and support the concept that these phytochemicals may offer antioxidative protection to the cells.
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Betalain Research Study - 4
Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Has Been Shown to be a Source of Antioxidant Betalains
Absorption, excretion, and distribution of dietary antioxidant betalains in LDLs: potential health effects of betalains in humans.Tesoriere L, Allegra M, Butera D, Livrea MA.
Dipartimento Farmacochimico Tossicologico e Biologico, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
BACKGROUND: Betalains were recently identified as natural antioxidants. However, little is known about their bioavailability from dietary sources. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the bioavailability of betalains from dietary sources. DESIGN: The plasma kinetics and urinary excretion of betalains were studied in healthy volunteers (n = 8) after a single ingestion of 500 g cactus pear fruit pulp, which provided 28 and 16 mg indicaxanthin and betanin, respectively. The incorporation of betalains in LDL and the resistance of the particles to ex vivo-induced oxidation was also researched. RESULTS: Betanin and indicaxanthin reached their maximum plasma concentrations 3 h after the fruit meal and declined according to first-order kinetics. The half-life of betanin (0.94 +/- 0.07 h) was shorter than that of indicaxanthin (2.36 +/- 0.17 h). Both compounds had disappeared from plasma by 12 h after intake. The urinary excretion of indicaxanthin and betanin over 12 h represented 76 +/- 3.0% and 3.7 +/- 0.2%, respectively, of the ingested compounds. LDL isolated 3 and 5 h after the fruit meal incorporated betalains at concentrations of 100.5 +/- 11 and 50 +/- 7.2 pmol/mg LDL protein, respectively. In addition, the particles appeared more resistant to ex vivo-induced oxidative injury than did the samples isolated before fruit ingestion (P < 0.05)-the higher the amount of betalains incorporated, the higher the resistance. The concentrations of vitamin E and beta-carotene in LDL did not change significantly after fruit ingestion. CONCLUSION: Our results show that cactus pear fruit is a source of bioavailable betalains and suggest that indicaxanthin and betanin may be involved in the observed protection of LDL against ex vivo-induced oxidative modifications.
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