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Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
Review
Generically Dependent Continuant
RDF description of Opuntia spp.: Characterization and Benefits in Chronic Diseases - http://orbis.uaslp.mx/vivo/individual/scopus7091
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Nutrition; Plants (botany); Biological properties; Cardio-vascular disease; Economic potentials; Mediterranean basin; Nutritional properties; Pharmaceutical agents; Phytochemical composition; Value added products; Diseases; betalain; calcium; flavonoid; Opuntia extract; phenol derivative; vitamin; atherosclerosis; chemical composition; chronic disease; coronary artery disease; diabetes mellitus; human; hypercholesterolemia; malignant neoplasm; meta analysis (topic); nonhuman; obesity; Opuntia; randomized controlled trial (topic); Review; skin injury; wound healing; animal; cardiovascular disease; chemistry; chronic disease; diabetes mellitus; diet therapy; Mediterranean diet; metabolism; neoplasm; obesity; Opuntia; Diseases; Food; Nutrition; Pigment; Plants; Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases; Chronic Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Diet, Mediterranean; Humans; Neoplasms; Obesity; Opuntia
Opuntia spp.: Characterization and Benefits in Chronic Diseases
Opuntia species have been used for centuries as food resources and in traditional folk medicine for their nutritional properties and their benefit in chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. These plants are largely distributed in America, Africa, and the Mediterranean basin. Opuntia spp. have great economic potential because they grow in arid and desert areas, and O. ficus-indica, the domesticated O. species, is used as a nutritional and pharmaceutical agent in various dietary and value-added products. Though differences in the phytochemical composition exist between wild and domesticated (O. ficus-indica) Opuntia spp., all Opuntia vegetatives (pear, roots, cladodes, seeds, and juice) exhibit beneficial properties mainly resulting from their high content in antioxidants (flavonoids, ascorbate), pigments (carotenoids, betalains), and phenolic acids. Other phytochemical components (biopeptides, soluble fibers) have been characterized and contribute to the medicinal properties of Opuntia spp. The biological properties of Opuntia spp. have been investigated on cellular and animal models and in clinical trials in humans, allowing characterization and clarification of the protective effect of Opuntia-enriched diets in chronic diseases. This review is an update on the phytochemical composition and biological properties of Opuntia spp. and their potential interest in medicine. © 2017 Mariá del Socorro Santos Diáz et al.