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Biobased Products for Viral Diseases
Published in Mahendra Rai, Chistiane M. Feitosa, Eco-Friendly Biobased Products Used in Microbial Diseases, 2022
Gleice Ribeiro Orasmo, Giovanna Morghanna Barbosa do Nascimento, Maria Gabrielly de Alcântara Oliveira, Jéssica Missilany da Costa
The palm (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill) also known as prickly pear, missionary cactus or smooth prickly pear, belongs to the Cactaceae family. This plant originates from Mexico, being widely distributed throughout Central America, South America, Australia, South Africa and the Mediterranean (Leo et al. 2010). The palm is a cactus widely used as forage, being an alternative for animal feed in the semi arid region of Brazil during periods of water scarcity (Castro et al. 2020).
Nutraceutical Herbs and Insulin Resistance
Published in Robert E.C. Wildman, Richard S. Bruno, Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, 2019
Giuseppe Derosa, Pamela Maffioli
The cactus opuntia, also known as nopal, is native to Central Mexico and the pads are eaten as a vegetable. Cactus plants have long served as a source of food for people, and they have long been used in traditional Mexican medicine for treating diabetes. Nopal is considered a functional food because it is a proven source of dietary fiber and bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity, such as flavonoids, flavonols, carotenes, and ascorbic acid, in addition to being low in calories.62–64
Choosing Herbal Treatments
Published in Scott Mendelson, Herbal Treatment of Major Depression, 2019
In a recent review it was noted that the herbs most frequently cited in the literature as being useful in the treatment of diabetes type II were Momordica charantia (bitter melon), Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek), Gymnema sylvestre (gurmar), Coccinia indica (ivy gourd), Opuntia spp. (nopal), Panax ginseng (ginseng), Artemisia dracunculus (Russian tarragon), Cinnamomum cassia (cinnamon), Plantago ovata (psyllium), and Allium sativum (garlic).108 The mechanisms of action for these herbs were described as including regulation of insulin signaling pathways, translocation of GLUT-4 receptor and/or activation the PPARγ. All of those mechanisms have been associated with anti-depressant effects.109–111
Fresh Fruit Juice of Opuntia dillenii Haw. Attenuates Acetic Acid–Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Rats
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2019
S. Babitha, K. Bindu, Taj Nageena, V. P. Veerapur
Polyphenol compounds have been shown to be the chief contributors to the antioxidant effects of several natural products, particularly fruits and vegetables (Conforti, & Menechini, 2011). Fruit juice is documented to be an excellent beverage that promotes health and is abundant in antioxidant substances, such as vitamin C and phenolic compounds (Pyo, Jin, & Hwang, 2014). The prickly pear fruit (Opuntia dillenii Haw.) is an abundant source of fiber, carbohydrates, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), betalains (betanin, isobetanin), polysaccharides, flavonoids, and phenolics such as isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside, gallic acid, catechin, and epicatechin. In addition, it contains minerals such as manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and chromium (Cr) and traces of potassium (K), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), proteins, and nickel (Ni) (Medina, Rodriguez, & Romero, 2007; Chang, Hsieh, & Yen, 2008).
Quercetin promotes gastrointestinal motility and mucin secretion in loperamide-induced constipation of SD rats through regulation of the mAChRs downstream signal
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2018
Ji Eun Kim, Mi Rim Lee, Jin Ju Park, Jun Young Choi, Bo Ram Song, Hong Joo Son, Young Whan Choi, Kyung Mi Kim, Jin Tae Hong, Dae Youn Hwang
Several reports on extracts and compounds containing flavonoids have provided evidences for the possibility that flavonoid contributes to the improvement of constipation. Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) water extract contains high levels of flavonoids, and reportedly improves the fecal pellet number and water content, as well as the histological parameters (Han et al. 2017). Also, gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation, indigestion, dysentery and gastroenteritis were significantly improved with Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad (bitter apple fruit) (Hussain et al. 2014). The crude extract of Phyllanthus emblica (Pe.Cr) and leaf aqueous extract of Mareya micrantha (Benth.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) shows high laxative activity and reduced the loperamide induced constipation (Meite et al. 2010; Najeeb-ur-Rehman et al. 2012; Mehmood et al. 2013). Furthermore, the methanol and hexane extracts of Senna macranthera leaves induce a laxative effect comparative to the standard drug bisacodyl (Guarize et al. 2012). Although previous studies have provided some information regarding the possibility of a correlation between some intestinal bowel diseases and flavonoid, no studies have investigated the laxative effects of a specific flavonoid in the constipated animal model.
Antilithiatic effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of cactus prickly pear in chemically induced urolithiasis in rats
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2018
Nasrin Partovi, Mohammad Reza Ebadzadeh, S. Jamilaldin Fatemi, Mohammad Khaksari
Mature prickly pears of Opuntia ficus-indica fruit species (purpled skinned) were collected in the municipal area of Kerman (Iran). The unpeeled fruit was washed and ground manually. They were immersed in 96% ethanol for 72 h and protected from light with aluminum foil. After that, they were sonicated for 10 min at 40 °C. The mixture were then decanted and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator with the temperature set at 40 °C. Crude extract from cactus prickly pear fruit wet then dried using an oven with a temperature of 35 °C for 24 h. The percentage yield of dried extract was calculated. The extract was stored in an air-tight container at 4 °C and was labeled.