Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences 2016; 4(6): 162-169 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/jfns doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20160406.14 ISSN: 2330-7285 (Print); ISSN: 2330-7293 (Online) Review Article Opuntia ficus-indica as a Source of Bioactive and Nutritional Phytochemicals Imen Belhadj Slimen 1, 2, * , Taha Najar 1, 2 , Manef Abderrabba 2 1 Department of Animal, Food and Halieutic Resources, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, Mahragen City, Tunisia 2 Laboratory of Materials, Molecules and Applications, Preparatory Institute for Scientific and Technical Studies, La Marsa, Tunisia Email address: belhadj_slimen_imen@yahoo.fr (I. B. Slimen) * Corresponding author To cite this article: Imen Belhadj Slimen, Taha Najar, Manef Abderrabba. Opuntia ficus-indica as a Source of Bioactive and Nutritional Phytochemicals. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences. Vol. 4, No. 6, 2016, pp. 162-169. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20160406.14 Received: November 19, 2016; Accepted: November 30, 2016; Published: December 23, 2016 Abstract: Cacti are known for their minimum water requirement. They grow extensively in arid lands, where they were traditionally used for both human and animal food. Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly referred to as prickly pear or nopal cactus, was known as a medicinal plant, owing to its rich composition in polyphenols, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and amino acids. This makes cactus pear a promising crop for commercial food applications. Recent scientific investigations showed thatcactus products may be efficiently used as a source of foods additives, mainly fibre, colorants and antioxidants. Tablets, cookies and other forms of fibre derived from cactus cladodes are currently marketed in severalAmerican countries. This review details the main functional phytochemicals characterizing different tissues of Opuntia ficus-indica. Keywords: Opuntia ficus-indica, Cladodes, Antioxidants, Polyphenols, Betalains 1. Introduction Cacti are the most conspicuous and characteristic plants of arid and semi-arid regions. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., commonly called prickly pear or nopal cactus, belongs to the dicotyledonous angiosperm Cactaceae family which includes about 1500 species of cactus. Cacti are known for their ability to thrive under environments recognized as stressful for most plant species, and are widely used to prevent soil erosion and to combat desertification [1, 2]. Opuntias have been exploited as a cheap and alternate source of food suitable not only for humans but also for animals. In addition, they have been cultivated as ornamental crops [3]. Two parts of the plant have been used for food: the “nopal” or cladodes and the fruits or the prickly pears. Cladodes are consumed in Mexico as salads [4] whereas fruits are widely eaten fresh, dried or preserved in jams, syrups or processed into candy-like products [4, 5]. Opuntia fruits are fleshy and elongated berries, varying in shape, size and color (orange, yellow, red, purple, green, white) and have a consistent number of hard seeds [6]. Opuntia ficus-indica was known to contain several pigments and bioactive molecules having nutritional and medicinal desirable properties [7-17]. Based on the chemical structure of their chromophore, pigments can be classified into (a) Chromophores with conjugated systems, such as carotenoids, anthocyanins, betalains, caramel, synthetic pigments, lakes; and (b) Metal-coordinated porphyrins including myoglobin, chlorophyll, and their derivatives. Based on this backdrop, the main objective of the present review is to focus on the bioactive molecules from Opuntia ficus-indica, their structure-activity relationship, as well as the nutritional value of this plant. 2. Bioactive Phytochemicals and Their Antioxidant Activity Opuntia ficus-indica was known to be a valuable source of vitamin E, fibers, amino acids, minerals, and antioxidant