PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MOROCCAN OPUNTIA DILLENII FRUIT, EXTRACTION OF BETACYANINS AND STUDY OF ITS STABILITY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Abstract

The Opuntia dillenii (O. dillenii) belongs to the Cactaceae family and usually grows in arid and semi-arid zones worldwide. This succulent plant is known for its multiple health benefits and virtues. In practical terms, the current study aims to investigate the morphological and the physicochemical characteristics of Opuntia dillenii fruit collected from Morocco, as well as the determination of flavonoids, polyphenols and betacyanins contents in order to characterize, identify and facilitate the valorization of this species. The obtained results are compared with existing literature and thoroughly discussed. In addition, the pigment of betacyanins was extracted from the fruit pulp and characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometry. The study of the stablity of betacyanins was carried out in the presence of certain parameters such as the change of pH, temperature, light and the addition of salt. The antioxidant activity of the extracted betacyanins was further examined using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay and the total antioxidant capacity method.