Bioactivity and chemical characterization of Opuntia macrorhiza Engelm. seed oil: potential food and pharmaceutical applications.

Food Funct. 2017 Jul 26. doi: 10.1039/c7fo00731k. [Epub ahead of print]

Chahdoura H1, Barreira JCM2, Adouni K3, Mhadhebi L4, Calhelha RC2, Snoussi M5, Majdoub H6, Flamini G7, Ferreira ICFR2, Achour L3.

Author information

1

Laboratoire de Recherche "Bioressourses, Biologie Intégrative & Valorisation", Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir, Avenue Tahar Hadded, BP 74, 5000, Université de Monastir, Tunisia and Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Ap. 1172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal. jbarreira@ipb.pt iferreira@ipb.pt.

2

Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Ap. 1172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal. jbarreira@ipb.pt iferreira@ipb.pt.

3

Laboratoire de Recherche "Bioressourses, Biologie Intégrative & Valorisation", Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir, Avenue Tahar Hadded, BP 74, 5000, Université de Monastir, Tunisia.

4

Unité de Recherche des Substances Actives Marines (URSAM), Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Tunisia.

5

Water Research and Technologies Center (CERTE), Laboratory of Wastewater Treatment, University of Carthage, P.O. Box 273, 8020 Soliman, Tunis, Tunisia.

6

Laboratoire des Interfaces et des Matériaux Avancés (LIMA), Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Bd. de l'environnement, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia.

7

Dipartimento di Farmacia, via Bonanno 6, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy and Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca "Nutraceutica e Alimentazione per laSalute" Nutra food, Università di Pisa, Italy.

Abstract

In the food industry, there is a continuous search for ingredients that might provide advantageous properties to food products, either considering their nutritional value or bioactivity, as well as flavouring and technological aspects. Crude oils are good examples of this type of ingredient, especially if obtained from nonconventional sources. Accordingly, the Opuntia macrorhiza Engelm. seed oil (OMSO) was chemically characterized and evaluated for different in vitro and in vivo bioactivities. OMSO presented physicochemical characteristics appropriate to be considered as an edible oil, namely low acidity value, stability to oxidation (high peroxide value and low K232 and K270values), and high contents of unsaturated fatty acids (as shown by the iodine value) and saponifiable matter. Furthermore, this natural oil, owing to its rich phytochemical profile, showed relevant antioxidant activity (especially in lipid peroxidation inhibition assays), α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, cytotoxicity against human tumour cell lines, antibacterial (mainly against Gram positive species) and antifungal properties, as well as anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Furthermore, OMSO did not show any sign of acute toxicity on animals, highlighting its possible use in different applications, considering that this natural product is not expected to induce the adverse effects typically associated with synthetic bioactive agents (e.g., ampicillin, amphotericin B, or lysine acetylsalicilate).

PMID:

 

28745380

 

DOI:

 

10.1039/c7fo00731k