Red and green Opuntia ficus-indica L. varieties extracts : Ethnopharmacological study, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and antidiabetic effects

Abstract

Prickly pear, also known as brabary fig, is a desert fruit that grows in arid regions around the world such as the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. It is characterized by its prickly peel and delicious pulp rich in vitamins and minerals. Prickly pear is used in folk medicine to treat digestive problems, support heart health, and lower cholisterol levels. This research aims to conduct a ethnopharmacological survery of the prickly pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica L.), evaluate its toxicity, examine its anti-inflammatory activity (in vitro and vivo), oxidative activity, as well as its ability to inhibit clotting and reduce sugar levels. Results showed that 78% of the inhabitants of the Sétif province use prickly pear solely for consumption, with a small percentage using it for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. Chemical analysis revealed that extracts from red peels (RPE), green peels (GRE), green seeds (GSE), and red seeds (RSE) contain polyphenols, sugars, free quinones, alkaloids, and saponins in all four extracts, with saponins present only in the GPE extract. Quantitatively, our results showed that the highest amount of total flavonoid and alkaloid contents were found in the RPE extract, with 14.66±0.45 μg equivalent of quercetin and 18.05±2.88 μg equivalent of tannic acid per mg of dry extract, respectively. In terms of polyphenol quantity, the RSE extract yielded the highest results with 116.65±1.21 μg equivalent of gallic acid. The use of these extracts did not result in any deaths or changes in behavior in treated animals, indicating the non-toxicity of these extracts. Laboratory antioxidant tests demonstrated good properties for both types of prickly pear, and anti-inflammatory activity tests in the laboratory showed clear inhibitory effects at concentrations of 4, 8, and 16 mg /ml. The RPE extract showed significant effects in inhibiting clotting compared to other extracts, while prickly pear seed extracts, especially the red type, exhibited effectiveness in reducing sugar levels, with a reduction rate of 76.27% at a concentration of 250mg/ml. These results confirm the use of prickly pear as an additional source of natural compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-coagulant properties.