Abstract

TORRES-PONCE, Reyna Lizeth; MORALES-CORRAL, Dayanira; BALLINAS-CASARRUBIAS, María de Lourdes  and  NEVAREZ-MOORILLON, Guadalupe Virginia. Nopal: semi-desert plant with applications in pharmaceuticals, food and animal nutrition. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2015, vol.6, n.5, pp.1129-1142. ISSN 2007-0934.

Nopal (Opuntia spp.) is a cactus that is present in arid and semi-arid areas with high diversity of species and wide geographic distribution in Mexico. For its nutritional composition is considered a good food product and a good choice of forage in desert areas. Many functional properties have been described, including dietary fiber and pectin, suggesting its use as functional food. In addition medicinal properties have been described, in the control of diabetes, as an antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer and anti-cholesterolemic and therefore being used in traditional medicine. These properties require a deeper study of its phytochemical properties and mechanisms of action involved in such uses. This paper presents a reflection on how much is attributed to nopal and the little that has been scientifically documented over it.

Keywords : ethno-medicine; forage; nutraceutical; hypoglycemic.

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