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Evaluation of Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Opuntia elatior Mill
Medicinal plant Opuntia elatior Mill., family Cactaceae, was studied for its nutritional value and health benefited properties from fruit. The fruit of the plants was extracted in sequential manner using methanol, hexane and distilled water. Out of these, maximum extract yield present in the methanolic extract was 36.84%. Nutritional value present in the 100 g of methanolic extracts of fruit was 1.02, 0.60, 63.26, and 0.11 mg of carbohydrates, protein, vitamin C and fat, respectively. Methanolic extract exhibits the highest antioxidant activity that is 54.10% and the lowest antioxidant activity is exhibited by the hexanoic extract at 45.66% and the distilled water at 50.40% of antioxidant activity. The anti-inflammation activity, the ability of protein denaturation in different fruit extracts of the maximum percentage of inhibition of 37.49% was observed from methanol extract followed by distilled water at 34.15% and then hexane at 30.38%. Phytochemical constituents present in the methanolic extract are alkaloids and phytosterols compound. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis of methanolic extract showed the presence of three bands. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis of methanolic extracts 19 characterization of bioactive compound. The methanolic extracts of fruits containing high content of protein, vitamin-C and carbohydrates provide good nutritional potential value and antioxidant activity and antiinflammation activity that may be possibly contribute to the treatment of arthritic disease.
Part of the book: Phytochemicals