title: Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Opuntia ficus-indica f. inermis (cactus pear) flowers.
abstract: Opuntia ficus-indica f. inermis (cactus pear) flowers have wide application in folk medicine. However, there are few reports focusing on their biological activity and were no reports on their chemical composition. The nutrient composition and hexane extracts of Opuntia flowers at 4 flowering stages and their antibacterial and antifungal activities were investigated. The chemical composition showed considerable amounts of fiber, protein, and minerals. Potassium (K) was the predominant mineral followed by calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). The main compounds in the various hexane extracts were 9.12-octadecadienoic acid (29-44%) and hexadecanoic acid (8.6-32%). The antibacterial activity tests showed that O. inermis hexane extracts have high effectiveness against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, making this botanical source a potential contender as a food preservative or food control additive.
authors.affiliation: 1 Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Mahdia , Mahdia, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ennouri
authors.forename: Imene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.forename: Bassem
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khemakhem
authors.forename: Hamadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Attia
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry; D029747:Opuntia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Opuntia inermis; antibacterial activity; chemical composition; flowering stage