Articles
Correlation of Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. and O. robusta mucilage yield to different physico-chemical characteristics
Article number
1343_62
Pages
497 – 504
Language
English
Abstract
Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. and O. robusta are plants known to survive drought because they produce a slimy substance that has the potential to be used as a hydrocolloid, either as a substituent or additive.
The prolate ellipsoid mucilage molecules contain approximately 3000 different types of sugars, and the mucilage was found to be hetero polysaccharide.
The mucilage is a non-Newtonian liquid that is also pseudo-plastic.
The aim of this study was to observe how extracted mucilage yield correlates with the different physico-chemical characteristics analysed from it.
A total of 168 cladodes (42 cultivars; 4 cladodes cultivar‑1) of similar age and position on the cactus plant were harvested.
Harvested cladodes had no fruit/nopal and no evidence of having had fruit/nopal before.
Mucilage was extracted with a patented method involving chopping, heating, maceration and centrifugation of cladodes, no chemicals were used during the extraction.
The carbon, nitrogen, protein and sugar concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, thermal combustion (Leco) and the Bradford assay, as well as with the phenol-sulphuric acid method.
There was a significant difference in the weight of the cladodes harvested, but no significance in mucilage yield from those cladodes.
Mucilage yield correlated positively with carbon (0.534) and sugar concentration (0.1008) although not significantly.
Mucilage yield correlated negatively with nitrogen (determined by Leco protein analysis) (-0.1768) (not significant) and negatively, but highly significantly, with protein determined by the Bradford assay (-0.3594**).
The prolate ellipsoid mucilage molecules contain approximately 3000 different types of sugars, and the mucilage was found to be hetero polysaccharide.
The mucilage is a non-Newtonian liquid that is also pseudo-plastic.
The aim of this study was to observe how extracted mucilage yield correlates with the different physico-chemical characteristics analysed from it.
A total of 168 cladodes (42 cultivars; 4 cladodes cultivar‑1) of similar age and position on the cactus plant were harvested.
Harvested cladodes had no fruit/nopal and no evidence of having had fruit/nopal before.
Mucilage was extracted with a patented method involving chopping, heating, maceration and centrifugation of cladodes, no chemicals were used during the extraction.
The carbon, nitrogen, protein and sugar concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, thermal combustion (Leco) and the Bradford assay, as well as with the phenol-sulphuric acid method.
There was a significant difference in the weight of the cladodes harvested, but no significance in mucilage yield from those cladodes.
Mucilage yield correlated positively with carbon (0.534) and sugar concentration (0.1008) although not significantly.
Mucilage yield correlated negatively with nitrogen (determined by Leco protein analysis) (-0.1768) (not significant) and negatively, but highly significantly, with protein determined by the Bradford assay (-0.3594**).
Publication
Authors
S. Miya, M. de Wit, A. van Biljon, S.L. Venter, E. Amonsou
Keywords
cladode, correlation, mucilage, protein, weight, yield
Groups involved
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