Nowadays there is a search for new alternatives to replace harsh and expensive chemical methods to wastewater treatments. The common methods include the usage of chemicals that negatively affect the environment and the human health. The cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill have a great potential for use in innovative, cheap, renewable and eco-friendly water treatment due to their flocculant properties. In this work, different water treatments including fresh cladodes, lyophilized cladodes and the material obtained through mucilage extraction were tested. The turbidity of the water was measured, and it was concluded that the use of 60 g of small pieces of fresh cut cladodes was the method with the best results, reaching 4 NTU of turbidity. It confirmed the ability of O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill cladodes to promote the flocculation of clay in water, enabling to turn the unused material waste into a useful raw material.

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The prickly pear is a non-climacteric fruit and highly perishable. Therefore, it is crucial to find methods to extend its shelf life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the storage behavior of prickly pears under modified atmosphere conditions (2 °C, 90% RH) using different packaging materials (a cardboard box commercially used by the company, a rigid PET (polyethylene terephthalate) box, and a biodegradable plastic flexible bag). The fruits were produced in the Alentejo region and belong to a regional variety usually referred to as the “orange” variety. According to this study, the “orange” variety fruits could be stored at the specified temperature for 30 days. Among the storage methods tested, the biodegradable plastic bag was the most effective in maintaining the fruit’s quality throughout the entire period. The biodegradable package exhibited a weight loss lower than 5% for 30 days of storage, while the cardboard box showed great weight loss (>6%) and more fruit contamination by fungi. Fruit firmness also decreased during storage, going from 10.1 N to 4.35 N, with bigger losses happening in the PET box. Throughout the study, the fruit acidity remained stable with values of 0.03% and 0.02%.