Chemical and biochemical characterization of Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes as a bio-product supplement

The prickly pear cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) is a tropical or subtropical plant originally grown in South America; its cladodes represent a by-product that generally is used for animal feed. Moreover, they are rich in pectin, mucilage and minerals, vitamins and antioxidants and the use as food medicine and cosmetic ingredients, could be proposed. In the present study, the characterization of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, sugars and minerals) in dehydrated OFI cladodes were performed. Further, antioxidant activity and polyphenols/minerals stability after simulated gastro-intestinal digestion, were also evaluated.