%0 Journal Article
%T <i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> Pruning Waste Recycling: Recovery and Characterization of Mucilage from Cladodes
%A Silvia Procacci
%A Emanuel Boj¨®rquez-Quintal
%A Giovambattista Platamone
%A Oliviero Maccioni
%A Vania Lo Vecchio
%A Vincenzo Morreale
%A Chiara Alisi
%A Roberto Balducchi
%A Loretta Bacchetta
%J Natural Resources
%P 91-107
%@ 2158-7086
%D 2021
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/nr.2021.124008
%X The present work focuses on the proximate physical and chemical profile of <em>Opuntia ficus-indica</em> mucilage, mechanically extracted from cladodes, a waste of pruning in traditional organic cactus pear orchards in Italy (San Cono, Sicily). The mechanical extraction increased the mucilage yield to 30% dry weight. Physical characterization concerns pH, viscosity, free acidity and density, useful for emulsifying capacity. Spectrophotometric analysis was applied to assess total carbohydrates, proteins, uronic acids, total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity. DART-MS and SEM-EDX were performed to evaluate functional mucilage components and relative amounts of minerals, respectively. From the main results <em>Opuntia ficus-indica</em> by-product, in addition to the preponderant total carbohydrates content, shows the high concentration in calcium and potassium and a fair amount of health-promoting phytochemicals, which make it a good candidate for the different type of industrial applications.
%K Natural Hydrocolloid
%K &lt
%K i&gt
%K Opuntia ficus-indica&lt
%K /i&gt
%K (L) Mill.
%K DART-MS Analysis
%K Chemical Analysis
%K Mucilage Extraction
%K Cladodes
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=108538