In vitro fermentation of oligosaccharides obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis of Opuntia streptacantha mucilage

Abstract

BACKGROUND Among Cactaceae, the genus Opuntia is widely known for the use of its biomass as cattle fodder and in human nutrition (e.g. species such as Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia streptacantha). In particular, O. streptacantha (OS) produces abundant mucilage and, hence, the characterization of its properties and nutritional value is important. Accordingly, determination of the dietary fiber content of the OS mucilage and the fermentability of its hydrolysis products (oligosaccharides, OLI) is important for developing new uses of the crop as a functional food. RESULTS The values for insoluble dietary fiber and soluble dietary fiber in the mucilage were 204.6 and 371.6 g kg−1, respectively. After hydrolysis of OS mucilage with α‐amylase, three purified fractions of OLI were evaluated (OLI‐A, OLI‐B and OLI‐C). OLI (1% w/v) stimulated the growth of the commercial probiotic strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis) in vitro, showing behaviors similar to those of commercial inulin. The production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the fermentation broth was also determined. The final pH of the fermentation broth as well as the identification and concentrations of SCFA depended on the type of OLI and probiotic used. CONCLUSION The OS mucilage is an unconventional fiber source and can be used to produce non‐digestible OLI as functional compounds. This knowledge will be useful for proposing new sustainable ways of processing cacti crops for food and industrial purposes. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

The Renaissance of Plant Mucilage in Health Promotion and Industrial Applications: A Review

“…Plants of the genus Opuntia (commonly known as prickly pear), which belongs to the family Cactaceae, are among the most recognized cacti due to their distinctive edible fruits (62% of Opuntia crops) [41,65]. There are 377 known endemic genera, 104 of which occur in Mexico, where they are most common and most widely used cacti [174]. Opuntia ficusindica is the most commonly cultivated species [175].…”

“…Boiling and centrifugation have been used to isolate the mucilage from Opuntia organs [177,178]. Ethanol has been investigated as a potential solvent in the drying stage [174,179]. The compositions of the mucilages extracted from the fruit by methods using water and chemical solvents are reported as being similar.…”

The Effect of Cladode Drying Techniques on the Prebiotic Potential and Molecular Characteristics of the Mucilage Extracted from Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia joconostle

“…In the case of Opuntia this is an overlooked fact. In the case of O. ficus-indica, Yahia et al and Reyes-Reyes et al studied the effect on selected prebiotic strains of native and modified mucilages and report the molecular dimensions but not the monosaccharide composition [35,36]. Sánchez-Tapia et al, Guevara-Arauza et al and Moran-Ramos et al evaluated the positive changes on the microbiome and related health effects after mucilage supplementation but did not offer a characterization of the mucilage [37][38][39].…”

Pretreatment with Lactobacillus fermentum XY18 Relieves Gastric Injury Induced by HCl/Ethanol in Mice via Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms

“…40 However, MDA activity is often used to measure the degree of lipid peroxidation, mainly because it is the final product of lipid oxidation. 41 In this study, compared with the gastric injury model group, LF-XY18 increased SOD, GSH-Px, GSH, and NO activities while reducing MDA activity, thus inhibiting gastric injury through antioxidant effects.…”