Articles
Effect of wet and dry periods on the yield of mucilage extracted from the prickly pear cactus clone Miúda [Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck]
Article number
1343_45
Pages
355 – 360
Language
English
Abstract
The prickly pear cactus is a Cactaceae common in the semi-arid of Brazil.
Besides being used for livestock feed it can also be used for industrial purposes such as in the manufacture of bread, cosmetics, construction, food, and pharmaceutical industries.
The mucilage can be extracted from the prickly pear cactus, which is a polysaccharide rich in sugars with great applicability in several areas, especially in the food industry.
However, the mucilage extracted can suffer changes since it has a flexible physiology according to the edapho-climatic conditions.
Thus, the objective was to study the effects of the wet and dry periods on the yield of mucilage extracted from the prickly pear cactus, clone Miúda [Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm Dyck]. The mucilage was extracted from cladodes harvested at 230 mm length in two periods, wet period (May 2019) and dry period (November 2019) in the municipality of Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil (7°59S, 38°5W and 431 m). After harvesting, the cladodes were weighed, washed in running water, peeled, and cut into cubes, then homogenized and washed in alcohol (99.5° INPM). After this process, the material obtained was dried in an oven for 24 h at 55°C, obtaining the mucilage.
The material obtained after the process was weighed and the yield of the two periods was compared.
It was observed that the mucilage extracted in the wet period showed a lower percentage of yield, 1.12%, compared to the mucilage extracted in the dry period, which showed 6.77%. Thus, the yield of mucilage is influenced by the climatic conditions providing the dry period with a higher yield and thus, enabling several industrial applications.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed in order to provide a chemical fingerprint of the mucilage.
The data showed that both treatments presented similar behavior.
Besides being used for livestock feed it can also be used for industrial purposes such as in the manufacture of bread, cosmetics, construction, food, and pharmaceutical industries.
The mucilage can be extracted from the prickly pear cactus, which is a polysaccharide rich in sugars with great applicability in several areas, especially in the food industry.
However, the mucilage extracted can suffer changes since it has a flexible physiology according to the edapho-climatic conditions.
Thus, the objective was to study the effects of the wet and dry periods on the yield of mucilage extracted from the prickly pear cactus, clone Miúda [Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm Dyck]. The mucilage was extracted from cladodes harvested at 230 mm length in two periods, wet period (May 2019) and dry period (November 2019) in the municipality of Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil (7°59S, 38°5W and 431 m). After harvesting, the cladodes were weighed, washed in running water, peeled, and cut into cubes, then homogenized and washed in alcohol (99.5° INPM). After this process, the material obtained was dried in an oven for 24 h at 55°C, obtaining the mucilage.
The material obtained after the process was weighed and the yield of the two periods was compared.
It was observed that the mucilage extracted in the wet period showed a lower percentage of yield, 1.12%, compared to the mucilage extracted in the dry period, which showed 6.77%. Thus, the yield of mucilage is influenced by the climatic conditions providing the dry period with a higher yield and thus, enabling several industrial applications.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed in order to provide a chemical fingerprint of the mucilage.
The data showed that both treatments presented similar behavior.
Publication
Authors
N.L. Ferreira, K.S. Fonseca, J.C. Pinheiro, A.S.A.N. Marcelino, Y.P. Araújo, J.F.N. Souza, L.V.P. Andrada, C.N.T. Angelim, S.A. Sá, A.M.S.S. Brito, A.N. Simões
Keywords
edapho-climatic conditions, FTIR mucilage, yield
Groups involved
Online Articles (75)