Total Polyphenol Content, Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Constituents of Hydroethanolic Extract of Fruits and Seeds of Opuntia dilleniid (Ker Gawl) Haw. Cultivated in Tunisia

Abstract

Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl) Haw. have been widely used due to their nutritional composition and beneficial effects on health and are now used as medicinal plants in various countries. In this study, we investigated the phytochemical constituents and the antioxidant potential of fruits and seeds hydroethanolic extracts of Opuntia dillenii L. cultivated in Tunisia. The highest values of total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC) were obtained in seeds extract in the order of 50.51 mg GAE/g DE, and 8.30 mg mg RE/g DE, respectively. Similarly, Opuntia fruits extract exhibited a higher potent antioxidant activity and the IC50 value reached 0.22 mg/ mL. The major polyphenolic compounds, determined by HPLC, were gallic acid, procatechic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid and quinic acid for fruits extract. While sinapic acid and luteolin were the most compounds for seeds extract. These findings suggest that O. dillenii fruits and seeds extract are a promising natural source of bioactive molecules with beneficial properties for human health and could be useful in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries.